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as every lawyer knows, this can result in considerable
upsets in the day to day handling of clients' affairs.
Some foreign practitioners overcome this problem by
ensuring that at least the most important cases are
handled in collaboration with another member of
the firm. Others just work longer hours.
The nature of a foreign law practice requires
various systems of checks and controls on inflow of
clients to avoid conflicts of interest. It will be readily
understood that for example a large and reputable
American or British firm based in Paris is likely
(from time to time) to receive instructions from both
parties to a contract or a litigation suit.
In addition, internal conferences, practice notes,
precedents, memos and reports are regularly used to
ensure that lawyers are briefed on important aspects
°f existing or proposed changes in French law and
the laws of their own country.
The fact that most clients are non resident has
induced many foreign lawyers to adopt the Avocats
practice of obtaining security for costs at instruc-
tions stage and to furnish interim bills throughout
the conduct of a case. These measures, as much as
the burden of high overheads in running a foreign
Practice, necessitate efficient accounting, billing and
time recording methods.
There is no doubt that foreign law practice in
France is likely to increase in the foreseeable future.
As a result, interesting initiatives may be expected to
taken in relations affecting foreign lawyers and
their French colleagues. It may well be that full
Partnership between French and foreign lawyers may
ultimately be necessary though at the moment the
idea would be offensive to many. Nonetheless, legal
Practice at international level has ceased to be a
twentieth century phenomenon and the foreign lawyer
has become recognised as indispensible in the
administration of the legal affairs of clients in
different countries.
Correspondence
Collis & Ward, Solicitors,
1 Lower Merrion Street,
Dublin 2.
7th April, 1975.
J- J- Ivers, Esq.,
incorporated Law Society.
Re Understamped Correspondence
D
ear Mr. Ivers,
it has just come to my knowledge that a firm of
solicitors refused to accept delivery of a letter
because it was under-stamped. The letter, in fact, con-
f i n e d a document with a time limit. There was con-
querable delay before it went back to the sender.
Fortunately for all concerned the time was, in fact,
l n
8 extended.
it does occur to me that it is very "unwise" for a
solicitor to refuse to accept a letter because it is under-
tamped, because he might thereby prejudice the
interests of his client and find himself in a very
awkward position.
I recently accepted delivery of a postal packet and
paid 64p excess postage (which my professional col-
league immediately refunded).
I would suggest that a note in the Law Society
Gazette stressing the desirability of solicitors accepting
letters and paying excess postage, rather than run the
risk of possibly prejudicing a client, would be desirable.
Yours truly,
R. Morton Wilson.
Dail Debate
DAIL EIREANN—19 MARCH, 1975
LAND BOND BILL 1975
(Second Stage)
Mr. T. Fitzpatrick (Minister for Lands):—
It would appear from the figures produced by
Deputy Lalor today that the Land Commission, when
paying in bonds, actually pay more than the market
price because Deputy Lalor had figures which showed
—indeed, correctly—that the price per acre in land
bonds is, percentagewise, quite a bit more than the
price per acre in cash. When the appeal tribunal are
adjudicating on price they do bear in mind the fact
that payment is being made in land bonds and these
bonds are at a discount.
The bonds have been criticised on a number of
grounds. It was stated that there is no redemption
date for land bonds and it is in the nature of a lottery
as to whether one ever gets paid at par. That is not
so. The Land Bond Act, 1934, provided that the
Minister for Finance might redeem bonds on the
expiration of 30 years from the date of the passing of
the Act, making 23rd March, 1964, the date on which
land bonds could be redeemed. In 1957, however, a
Fianna Fáil Minister for Finance amended the 1934
Act and extended the period by providing that the
optional date for redemption would be 50 years from
1934, thereby providing that land bonds could not be
redeemed before 1984.
Appointments
Mr. Alfred J. O'Dwyer, B.A., Barrister-at-Law,
formerly Deputy Registrar, hs been appointed
Registrar of Titles in the Land Registry and
Registrar of Deeds in the Registry of Deeds, as
from 28th April, 1975, when Mr. Desmond
McAllister retired.
Mr. Peter D. M. Prentice, senior partner of Messrs.
Matheson, Ormsby and Prentice, Dublin, and
former President of the Society, has been
appointed a Commissioner of Charitable Dona-
tions and Bequests, in succession to the late Mr.
John Sides.