Paul Bennett

In the five years since the first edition of this book published, there has been an accelerated rise in the number and influence of COO roles in the legal sphere. No longer the preserve of the largest national and international firms, mid-tier firms and even New Law and alternative legal service providers are considering a COO as a potential – perhaps even essential – component of law firm management, to achieve increased efficiency, productivity, and meet the demands of a highly competitive market. With contributions from a number of current law firm COOs, alongside some of the most respected and sought-after consultants working in this space, this second edition of Rise of the Legal COO examines the scope and variety of the legal COO role, and how the challenges and demands of the position have altered as law firms have evolved. It contains updated chapters from the first edition, and several brand new chapters covering topics such as: How the COO can enable innovation and digital transformation in their firm; The COO’s role in managing profitability and client engagement; The use of data in law firm management; and The New Law COO. There are also all-new, exclusive interviews with legal COOs from a variety of national and international firms, covering topics ranging from the importance of relationships and adapting to the new hybrid, post-COVID world, to encouraging innovation in firms and strategies to recruit and retain talent. There is no doubt that a good COO is an invaluable part of a firm’s management team, and the opportunities for talented individuals with broad operational management skills will continue to grow. Heavily backed up by the first-hand experience of the contributors, this title provides essential guidance to the current and future legal COO on the skills and strategies they need to succeed, and to law firms on how to recruit, integrate, and develop a COO who will be a good match for their culture and help them achieve their ambitions.

AN UTTERLY GRIPPING, ACTION-PACKED THRILLER THAT WILL HAVE YOU HOOKED. Meet Johnny Silver. He's an ex-mercenary who seeks justice whatever it takes. And that usually involves breaking a few things . . . Johnny Silver has four men he trusts above all others, his former crew: Bull, Red, Stan and Pieter. They have each other's backs through thick and thin, no matter what. So when Pieter, now a ranger on a game reserve in South Africa, needs help, Johnny rounds up the crew and comes to his friend's aid. Poachers are running rampant on the game reserve, killing elephants for their ivory and rhinos for their horns - and the impala just for the sake of it. The local authorities are powerless to stop them, so it's up to Johnny and his band of ex-mercenaries to run the poachers out of the reserve - forever. But the rewards are so great, these desperate men will do anything to get them. Including murder. It all comes to a head when the poachers declare battle at dawn. Johnny and his crew are vastly outnumbered. As the body count rises, a secret weapon is deployed to end things once and for all. Will this be Johnny's last adventure? Or will he and his band of brothers live to see another day? Fans of The Magnificent 7, The A Team, Frederick Forsyth, David Baldacci, Matt Hilton, Lee Child, Vince Flynn and Robert Ludlum will devour this series of addictive action thrillers. JOHNNY SILVERJohnny Silver lives in St. Jude in the Caribbean. He's retired from the mercenary life and runs a beach bar with his wife Anna. His former crew have all made new lives for themselves. Bull, a 6-foot-6 Jamaican, also lives on St. Jude. The others have dispersed to their homelands. Stan, the tactician, runs a hotel in his native Poland. Red, a half-Comanche, is on his Texas ranch. The team's ladies' man, Pieter, is on a wildlife preserve in South Africa working as a ranger and conducting safaris. But this band of brothers can never be apart for long, and when they reunite, chaos will ensue . . .

This book surveys recent advances in Conversational Information Retrieval (CIR), focusing on neural approaches that have been developed in the last few years. Progress in deep learning has brought tremendous improvements in natural language processing (NLP) and conversational AI, leading to a plethora of commercial conversational services that allow naturally spoken and typed interaction, increasing the need for more human-centric interactions in IR. The book contains nine chapters. Chapter 1 motivates the research of CIR by reviewing the studies on how people search and subsequently defines a CIR system and a reference architecture which is described in detail in the rest of the book. Chapter 2 provides a detailed discussion of techniques for evaluating a CIR system – a goal-oriented conversational AI system with a human in the loop. Then Chapters 3 to 7 describe the algorithms and methods for developing the main CIR modules (or sub-systems). In Chapter 3, conversational document search is discussed, which can be viewed as a sub-system of the CIR system. Chapter 4 is about algorithms and methods for query-focused multi-document summarization. Chapter 5 describes various neural models for conversational machine comprehension, which generate a direct answer to a user query based on retrieved query-relevant documents, while Chapter 6 details neural approaches to conversational question answering over knowledge bases, which is fundamental to the knowledge base search module of a CIR system. Chapter 7 elaborates various techniques and models that aim to equip a CIR system with the capability of proactively leading a human-machine conversation. Chapter 8 reviews a variety of commercial systems for CIR and related tasks. It first presents an overview of research platforms and toolkits which enable scientists and practitioners to build conversational experiences, and continues with historical highlights and recent trends in a range of application areas. Chapter 9eventually concludes the book with a brief discussion of research trends and areas for future work. The primary target audience of the book are the IR and NLP research communities. However, audiences with another background, such as machine learning or human-computer interaction, will also find it an accessible introduction to CIR.

Nick Shannon is on bail. Can he stay out of trouble long enough to avoid prison for the second time? A corpse magnet. That's what they call Nick. Wherever he goes, a dead body isn't far behind. But he's not expecting any casualties in his latest case. Nick is on his way to Fairstead Hospital to meet his new client, Alan Cooper, CEO of the private establishment. Nick's been hired to carry out an independent review of the business. He immediately discovers one of the staff members is running a profitable scam. Time to break the bad news to Cooper. But Cooper isn't available for a meeting right now. He's lying on the floor of his office with a syringe in his right hand and five empty ones on the floor beside him. Blood is trickling from his head, his lips and fingers are tinged blue. The only thing that can save him is a shot of medicine that rapidly reverses an overdose. But the hospital pharmacy is out of stock . . . Nick curses. The corpse magnet strikes again. Who killed poor Cooper? And more importantly, why? Nick makes it his mission to find out.

AN UTTERLY GRIPPING, ACTION-PACKED THRILLER THAT WILL HAVE YOU HOOKED. No bad deed goes unpunished. As a favour to his old friend Sir Gerald Campion, Nick Shannon is investigating the books at an advertising agency to make sure everything's kosher - his first mistake. His second is attending the company's annual fete for clients, employees and their families. It's a wholesome affair with a selection of rides and stalls selling homemade and artisan products. But the merriment comes to a grinding halt when a gut-wrenching scream escapes from the ghost train. Nick races to the scene to find Bradley, a prominent client, slumped in a train car with a knife sticking out of his chest. His final, cryptic whisper: McLuhan. Now Nick has two jobs: find a fraudster and catch a killer. With his wedding fast approaching, Nick's race against time becomes a high-stakes gamble, where each step could cost him dearly. The key to solving the enigma lies within Bradley's final word: McLuhan. But the closer Nick gets, the more danger he's in. Now Nick is entangled in a deadly dance where every move could be his last. Fans of Frederick Forsyth, David Baldacci, J. B. Turner, Rob Sinclair, Lee Child, Vince Flynn and Robert Ludlum will devour this series of addictive page-turners.

Big-time businessman Sir Gerald Campion is losing money. The losses in his gambling division look like an inside job. He's angry, and betrayal like this can't go unpunished. Wasting no time, Nick and his team head to the casino to investigate. But as they're leaving, they're attacked by a mad axeman, backed up by an unknown figure in a van. Then a car bomb explodes, killing one of Campion's staff and injuring one of Shannon's own team. Someone is playing a game of Russian roulette . . . And Shannon's going for broke.

This book surveys recent advances in Conversational Information Retrieval (CIR), focusing on neural approaches that have been developed in the last few years. Progress in deep learning has brought tremendous improvements in natural language processing (NLP) and conversational AI, leading to a plethora of commercial conversational services that allow naturally spoken and typed interaction, increasing the need for more human-centric interactions in IR. The book contains nine chapters. Chapter 1 motivates the research of CIR by reviewing the studies on how people search and subsequently defines a CIR system and a reference architecture which is described in detail in the rest of the book. Chapter 2 provides a detailed discussion of techniques for evaluating a CIR system – a goal-oriented conversational AI system with a human in the loop. Then Chapters 3 to 7 describe the algorithms and methods for developing the main CIR modules (or sub-systems). In Chapter 3, conversational document search is discussed, which can be viewed as a sub-system of the CIR system. Chapter 4 is about algorithms and methods for query-focused multi-document summarization. Chapter 5 describes various neural models for conversational machine comprehension, which generate a direct answer to a user query based on retrieved query-relevant documents, while Chapter 6 details neural approaches to conversational question answering over knowledge bases, which is fundamental to the knowledge base search module of a CIR system. Chapter 7 elaborates various techniques and models that aim to equip a CIR system with the capability of proactively leading a human-machine conversation. Chapter 8 reviews a variety of commercial systems for CIR and related tasks. It first presents an overview of research platforms and toolkits which enable scientists and practitioners to build conversational experiences, and continues with historical highlights and recent trends in a range of application areas. Chapter 9eventually concludes the book with a brief discussion of research trends and areas for future work. The primary target audience of the book are the IR and NLP research communities. However, audiences with another background, such as machine learning or human-computer interaction, will also find it an accessible introduction to CIR.

Nick Shannon is a convicted killer. But don't let that put you off. He had his reasons. After serving time in prison for the mercy killing of his quadriplegic sister, Nick Shannon is finally getting his life back on track working as a fraud detective. Business for Shannon Investigations is booming. They don't take any prisoners: no one is too big to escape justice, and they never give up. But when their new client, Roger Ackroyd, dies only two days into the contract, it puts a bit of a dampener on things. Nick finds Ackroyd slumped forward over his partners' desk, face down on the dark green leather top. The police think it was a stroke or a heart attack. But Nick isn't convinced. The next day, the autopsy reveals poison in Ackroyd's system. Nick was right. But now he's the prime suspect. Nick won't go down without a fight, and that's exactly what the real killer has in mind.

“This book provides an excellent introduction to clinical psychology. Written in an accessible style, the text effectively combines theory and research with practice examples and case studies.”—Jason Davies, Professor of Forensic and Clinical Psychology, Swansea University “Comprehensive on key areas, theories and models.”—Jessica Fielding, Lecturer in Psychology, University of Bristol“Case formulations bring to life the various disorders presented here. A scholarly discussion of developments in clinical practice including third wave cognitive behavioural therapies is another unique strength. I highly recommend this as a key text for practitioner psychology trainees and health care professionals working in medical settings.”—Christina Liossi, Chair in Paediatric Psychology, University of Southampton and Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Psychology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation TrustExtensively updated, this popular and accessibly written textbook outlines the latest research and therapeutic approaches within clinical psychology, alongside important developments in clinical practice. The book introduces and evaluates the conceptual models of mental health problems and their treatment, including second and third wave therapies. Each disorder is considered from a psychological, social and biological perspective and different intervention types are thoroughly investigated. Key updates to this edition include:•The development of case formulations for conditions within each chapter•An articulation and use of modern theories of psychopathology, including sections on the transdiagnostic approach, meta-cognitive therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy•An introduction to emerging mental health issues, such as internet gaming disorder•Challenging ‘stop and think’ boxes that encourage readers to address topical issues raised in each chapter, such as societal responses to topics as varied as psychopathy, paedophilia and the Black Lives Matter movement•New vocabulary collated into key terms boxes for easy reference Paul Bennett is Professor of Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Swansea. He has previously worked as a clinical psychologist, as well as an academic at Cardiff and Bristol universities. He has published over 125 academic papers, in addition to a number of highly regarded student-focused booksPraise for the previous edition:"This book provided an invaluable orientation to the grounding theoretical principles of clinical health psychology, how this knowledge can be applied by psychologists in healthcare settings, particular assessment and intervention approaches and issues associated with working with patients in healthcare settings ... I would highly recommend this as a key text for clinical psychology trainees and postgraduates working or researching in medical settings across the lifespan, both as a general orientation tool and a resource to refer to with reference to specific presenting issues. Fleur-Michelle Coiffait, Doctoral student, University of Edinburgh, UK"The tone of this volume is well pitched; it is written in clear English yet without being over-simplified. New vocabulary is collated into ‘key terms’ boxes for easy reference at the end of the chapter – a useful device for the new student. Also proffered at chapter end are ‘For Discussion’ boxes, encouraging the reader to critically assess and compare the contents of the chapter, along with useful suggestions for further reading. With a good level of detail without swamping the reader, this volume is an excellent introduction to students of abnormal psychology." Hayley Burgess, Psychology Graduate

Freedom Freelance Solicitors are those truly practicing on their own, without a law firm. Solicitors have significant new freedoms under Solicitors Regulation Authority rules from November 2019 about how they may practice. What are these opportunities? Is it the right model for you and your clients? What is the difference to being a sole practitioner? How this is radically different to the consultant model which some firms already use the term freelance to describe? In this practical guide these questions will be addressed to enable you to assess the impact of the new regime and assess the freedoms on offer. This book will help both potential freelance solicitors and law firms looking to understand the freelance solicitor model. ABOUT THE AUTHORPaul Bennett is a Solicitor and Partner at Bennett Briegal LLP a law firm which serves the needs of law firms, solicitors and other professionals. Paul is a specialist in legal regulation and his clients include Judges, leading law firms and individual solicitors. Paul has been involved in a number of the leading cases involving solicitors disciplinary matters and regularly writes and speaks on all things regulation and management.www.bennettbriegal.co.uk

When it's police against the police it's a Blue on Blue and no good ever comes from it. Nick Shannon, fraud investigator, spent seven years in prison for the mercy killing of his quadriplegic sister. The hit-and-run driver who debilitated her is still at large so when Shannon is asked to clear the name of a police officer accused of embezzling a million pounds it seems like a golden opportunity to delve into the police files that someone is trying to keep a secret. Shannon digs deep into the murky world of the police and doesn't like what he finds. He wants justice and nothing will stop him. Except death, and that's exactly what someone has in mind.

In 1750, the Mallory family moved tothe western Pennsylvania frontier, seekinga home and a future. Clash of Empiresreveals the harrowing experiences of acolonial family drawn into the seven-yearconflict between the British and French forcontrol of the continent - the French andIndian War.

This innovative textbook adopts a lifespan approach to mental health. Paul Bennett provides an overview of factors that influence risk for mental health problems throughout the life course and emphasises lifelong models of mental health and disorders. In addition, he describes the nature and treatment of disorders specific to childhood, adulthood, and older adulthood. Adopting a transdiagnostic approach, Clinical Psychology Through the Lifespan explores commonalities in the origins and processes associated with a range of disorders, as well as their unique features. Although the DSM 5 diagnostic criteria for each of the disorders are outlined in an appendix, a key emphasis of the book is its clinical psychology perspective. This is highlighted by text boxes within each chapter which focus on therapeutic case formulation and specific therapeutic process or challenges. Written for undergraduate and Master's level psychology students studying mental health, it will be of interest to students from a range of other disciplines including nursing, medicine, and allied health. Paul Bennett is a professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Swansea, UK. He previously taught psychology at Cardiff and Bristol Universities and worked as a clinical psychologist for the NHS.

"This book provided an invaluable orientation to the grounding theoretical principles of clinical health psychology, how this knowledge can be applied by psychologists in healthcare settings, particular assessment and intervention approaches and issues associated with working with patients in healthcare settings ... I would highly recommend this as a key text for clinical psychology trainees and postgraduates working or researching in medical settings across the lifespan, both as a general orientation tool and a resource to refer to with reference to specific presenting issues. Fleur-Michelle Coiffait, Doctoral student, University of Edinburgh, UK"The tone of this volume is well pitched; it is written in clear English yet without being over-simplified. New vocabulary is collated into ‘key terms’ boxes for easy reference at the end of the chapter – a useful device for the new student. Also proffered at chapter end are ‘For Discussion’ boxes, encouraging the reader to critically assess and compare the contents of the chapter, along with useful suggestions for further reading. With a good level of detail without swamping the reader, this volume is an excellent introduction to students of abnormal psychology." Hayley Burgess, Psychology GraduateExtensively updated, this popular textbook includes the latest research and therapeutic approaches, including third wave cognitive behavioural therapies, as well as developments in clinical practice. The book introduces and evaluates the conceptual models of mental health problems and their treatment, and provides valuable analyses of various disorders, such as schizophrenia and paedophilia. Each disorder is considered from a psychological, social and biological perspective and different intervention types are thoroughly investigated. The new edition also featuresNEW case formulations to illustrate discussion of clinical work NEW chapter on recent developments in cognitive behaviour therapyNEW Key Terms boxes at the end of chaptersUpdated Stop and Think boxesFurther reading extended with web linksAbnormal and Clinical Psychology 3rd edition is an indispensable guide for undergraduate students in psychology and health allied professions.