MONTHLY ROUND-UP According to the US Labor Department’s latest jobs report, the US legal sector added 1,800 jobs in January, continuing a trend of steady growth since spring 2020. According to royal and legal experts, Prince Andrew is likely to pay costs of at least £10 million after agreeing to settle Virginia Giuffre’s sexual abuse lawsuit against him. PRINCEANDREW SETTLEMENT: BOIES ANDMCCAWLEY SECURE JUSTICE FOR VIRGINIA GIUFFRE The out-of-court settlement means Prince Andrew makes no admission of guilt over claims by Giuffre that he sexually assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17 years old. These are allegations that the prince has repeatedly denied. In a letter to the judge, lawyers for Prince Andrew and Giuffre said a “settlement in principle” had been reached. The statement read: “The parties will file a stipulated dismissal upon Ms Giuffre’s receipt of the settlement.” While this sum is yet to be officially disclosed, legal experts told The Guardian that the cost of Prince Andrew was likely to come in at no less than £10 million even before paying his own legal fees. The prince is also set to make a “substantial donation” to Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights. Ms Giuffre has been represented freeof charge by US lawyers David Boies and Sigrid McCawley, hailed “the most famed and formidable” by the BBC. Boies is renowned for his relentless cross-examinations and has been hailed as “the man who ate Microsoft” by Vanity Fair. Meanwhile, McCawley is known for her relentless interrogation skills which helped take down Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking ring. In a comment, Simkins partner Gideon Benaim said, “It’s clearly a good thing for all concerned that the matter has now settled, particularly for Prince Andrew … Interestingly, we are not yet aware of any requirement for an apology, which would likely have been a stumbling point for the Duke, who maintains his innocence. I expect the Palace will be relieved that this debacle is seemingly over and now they can get on with the Platinum Jubilee without the prospect of a damaging trial looming large.” LM Image by Foto: Bernd Schwabe in Hannover - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, (https://commons. wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33193705) US LEGAL SECTOR ADDS 1,800 JOBS IN JANUARY Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed an initial 1,176,600 legal services sector jobs last month, up 3.5% year over year. This figure had climbed steadily since October, when employment in the sector first exceeded its historical peak of 1,165,300 jobs in February 2020, before the coronavirus pandemic swung into full force. The legal sector’s employment count includes lawyers, paralegals, and other legal professionals. As large law firms come under pressure to keep up with work from corporate clients, many of these professionals are in noticeably high demand. In 2021, client demand for legal services was up 6.5% on average amongst the 130 large and regional law firms that were surveyed by Wells Fargo Private Bank’s Legal Speciality Group. Commenting on the factors that contributed to the surge in legal employment, John Cashman, president of Major, Lindsey & Africa said: “The demand for high-end legal services has never been higher, and the shortage of associates has never been reduced.” “There’s no good reason that’ll slow down when it comes to demand for services.” LM 7 MAR 2022 | WWW.LAWYER-MONTHLY.COM
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