The Water Cooler

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* London legal aid firm Hickman & Rose has given up legal aid - the clearest indication, if one was needed, of how things are going for lawyers toiling in the publicly-funded sector. Its legal aid branch is going over to join TV Edwards. Partners at Hickman & Rose have put the surprise decision down to massive cuts in legal aid rates. Ben Rose, one of the founding partners, said: "It's not possible to offer a volume service at the standard we want for clients within this financial framework. But we believe that TV Edwards has the drive and dynamism to offer the best possible service within the legal aid framework." The firm will still do complex criminal and civil legal aid work from its Clerkenwell office.

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