So Halliwells finally gives up the ghost. Following the infamous property deal that left the once ambitious firm struggling over the last couple of years and eventually to its final demise this week, there is already much finger pointing and bitterness from those affected by the fallout. An assortment of random comments:

Halliwells outstanding debts
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 22/07/2010 – 13:29.
I am a sole trader, Enquiry Agent, owed a substantial amount of money for unpaid invoices by Halliwells. Will I get paid, I doubt it. Will the partners be held to account by the administrator, I doubt it. Will the administrator pursue the partners, I doubt it. The Law Society should investigate the goings on at Halliwells, some of my outstanding invoices go back 12 months and no doubt they have been paid by their clients. I was promised payments on numerious accaisons, but the cheques failed arrived. Can any one advise me. (The Gazette)

Anonymous | 21-Jul-2010 12:13 pm
How nice that the partners who caused this are now sitting pretty in the new firms when 30+ staff made redundant at 5.00 p.m. yesterday with no notice pay, wages, holiday pay, redundancy etc! Not one of these partners attended the meeting! Lots more admin staff to follow. (The Lawyer)

Complete Disgrace
Halliwells’ partners should be ashamed of themselves (I bet they are not though)! This is a terrible situation, especially for the current unemployed trainees and those due to start next month. What are they meant to do? Scrape in before the 2012 training contract deadline (for most firms) next week and find a job for the next two years? In respect of those first year trainees without a job, surely there is a firm out there who wants some (relatively cheap) fantastic PR by taking these guys on? While we are on the subject, well done Hill Dickinson who at least seem to have acted with a degree of decency in this process.
Anon -22 Jul 2010 | 19:32 (Legal Week)

All rather depressing for those affected and for anyone lulled into believing that the legal profession was immune from such events. So here are a few lighter anecdotes to kick off the weekend.

Man who previously changed his name to ‘Jack Ass’ sues media giant Viacom, saying the MTV show “Jackass” plagiarized his name This is real folks. A man in Montana who changed his name back in 1997 to “Jack Ass” (previously Bob Craft), says he did it to raise awareness about the dangers of drunk driving. The show “Jackass,” which premiered on MTV back in 2000, featured a group of guys performing crazy and dangerous stunts, that was also made into a movie in 2002. Jack Ass himself is claiming the company plagiarized his name, infringed on his trademark and copyright to his name and defamed his good character. He’s only asking for 10 Million. Source: CNN

Well at least his new name was well chosen.

A woman in Israel is suing a TV station and its weatherman for $1,000 after he predicted a sunny day and it rained. The woman claims the forecast caused her to leave home lightly dressed. As a result, she caught the flu, missed 4 days of work, spent $38 on medication and suffered stress.

On that basis, she should be glad she lives in Israel and not in the UK.

A Los Angeles attorney sued another attorney who had hung a cardboard tombstone in his office that read, “R.I.P./Jerry Garcia (a few too many parties perhaps?).” The plaintiff lawyer, a Garcia groupie, alleged this joke caused him “humiliation, mental anguish, and emotional and physical distress” after seeing the sign. He further added that he had suffered injury to his mind and body (specifics were not listed in the suit).

Ok so it is in LA which isn’t called la-la land for nothing.

And finally, for all hard working lawyers expecting to catch a break over the summer…

A surfer recently sued another surfer for “taking his wave.” The case was ultimately dismissed because they were unable to put a price on “pain and suffering” endured by watching someone ride the wave that was “intended for you.”

No comment.