Rumours continue to circulate that Halliwells is in merger talks with Hill Dickinson. Which would be an interesting marriage given that RollOnFriday can reveal that the troubled firm has asked Hill Dicks to pay damages to it...

A young Hill Dickinson associate sent an email to a colleague last year suggesting that Halliwells might be in a spot of difficulty. Which, RollOnFriday would like to confirm, it definitely isn't. Halliwells got hold of the email and, with the measured and reasonable response one would expect, sent the firm a letter of claim alleging defamation.

Hill Dickinson apologised - but that wasn't enough for Halliwells, which apparently responded by asking it to pay damages. In accordance with standard litigation procedure, the response was a clear "bugger off".

A Hill Dickinson associate yesterday

 
It's not exactly how law firms normally behave - it's hard to imagine Clifford Chance seeking damages from Linklaters for the comments of one of its junior lawyers. But it does seem par for the course for Halliwells. In March RollOnFriday reported that the firm had sent a threatening letter after an Eversheds' partner was heard dissing the firm on a train.

Neither Hill Dickinson nor Halliwells would comment.