* Berwin Leighton Paisner has parted company with one of its star property partners amid allegations that he left out some rather important details on a few recent deals. A spokesman confirmed that Vinay Veneik had left BLP, and that reports linking his departure with hiding the fact that he forget to pay stamp duty and register property transfers were accurate. Robert MacGregor, BLP's head of real estate, added: ”We are very sad Vinay is leaving the firm. He's done some excellent work here and we shall miss him."

* The general air of doom and gloom in financial markets has done nothing to dent the prospects of London’s junior lawyers, according to new figures. Despite talk of recession and imminent staff cuts, the UK’s top 25 law firms offered jobs to more than 90 per cent of their qualifying trainees this year, says Legal Week. Eighteen of the top 25 firms have retention rates above 90 per cent with six firms, including Slaughter and May, Nabarro and SJ Berwin, offering jobs to 100 per cent of trainees.

* He might not have a Facebook group like Lord Denning, but Judge Richard Posner of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago has a website devoted to publicising his rulings. Project Posner, set up by Tim Wu, a law professor at Columbia, contains the wit and wisdom of the man referred to as “probably the greatest living American jurist”. Despite hearing a complicated case about reinsurance contracts, Judge Posner managed to work this gem into a ruling this week: “If while you are sitting on your porch sipping Margaritas a trio of itinerant musicians serenades you with mandolin, lute, and hautboy, you have no obligation, in the absence of a contract, to pay them for their performance no matter how much you enjoyed it”. (No we have no idea either, apparently a hautboy is a kind of oboe.)

* An American popcorn enthusiast is suing a butter flavouring manufacturer after developing a medical condition known as “popcorn lung”. Wayne Watson, who eats two bags of popcorn a day, was diagnosed with the condition that doctors believe is caught from inhaling a chemical contained in popcorn butter. He blames the manufacturer, claiming it “failed to warn that preparing microwave popcorn in a microwave oven as intended and smelling the buttery aroma could expose the consumer to a risk of lung injury”. Hundreds of popcorn factory workers have made similar claims but Watson is thought to be the first consumer to demand compensation.

* Professor Alastair Hudson of Queen Mary, University of London and Dr Fernando Barrio of London Metropolitan University will share a £3,000 prize after being named joint winners of the Law Teacher of the Year Award 2008. The award, organised by the UK Centre for Legal Education and sponsored by the Oxford University Press, celebrates teachers who bring imagination and creativity to the teaching of law.

* It took the artist nine years — not least because a baby arrived along the way — but the striking collection of portraits by the former solicitor Christine Youldon is finally on display. Her paintings of more than 30 leading judges and lawyers at the Chambers Gallery, close to the Barbican, London, include the likes of Lords Woolf and Phillips of Worth Matravers, Cherie Booth, QC, and Baroness Hale of Richmond. Lord Falconer of Thoroton, the last Lord Chancellor, was so pleased with his that he asked the artist to paint his wife, Marianna Hildyard, QC. More than half the subjects (or their admirers) must have been similarly pleased because they have bought the works, which range from £3,000 to nearly £4,000. Among those still for sale is Lord Goldsmith, Michael Mansfield, QC, Sir Sydney Kentridge, Fiona Shackleton and Baroness Scotland of Asthal. The exhibition is due to end on Friday at noon (020-7778 1600). www.christine youldonportraits.co.uk

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