It makes about 70 per cent of its revenues from sponsored

It makes about 70 per cent of its revenues from “sponsored links” that accompany web search results.Google, the most direct comparable company, dominates the market, carrying out more than 60 per cent of searches performed globally. The other two big players, Yahoo! and MSN, have broader offerings that make them “portals” rather than simply search engines.IAC will now employ its brand management expertise on Ask Jeeves and invest in distribution, R&D and international growth. and we believe that in the future it has the potential to become one of the great brands on the internet and beyond, and by beyond we mean in wireless, in the search for anything on any device.”Adrian Cox, the chief executive of Ask Jeeves’ UK operations, said the group had lacked the financial muscle “to grow as quickly as we would have liked”. Since 2000, users have also been able to perform searches in a similar way to other engines using key words.Mr Diller, the chairman and chief executive of IAC, said: “Of the many search engines launched during that time, Ask was one of the very few that established itself…

But in December he missed out on buying the UK’s ebookers, which instead went to the travel giant Cendant.Ask Jeeves, based in California and founded in 1996 by Garrett Gruener and David Warthen, differentiates itself from competitor search engines by allowing customers to type in a question in “natural language”, which it will then answer. Mr Coley will move from North Carolina to the UK to take up the job. He has signed a one-year contract but details of his pay package and relocation deal have yet to be finalised. I don’t think the intention is that law firms will not be able to offer shares to the public.” Banking sources believe a large, international law firm such as Freshfields would be worth more than £1bn.The Law Society welcomed the proposals.

Edward Nally, its president, said: “There is no public interest reason why commercial organisations should not be able to invest in providing legal services to the public. He has no new job to go to.He is being replaced by one of British Energy’s non-executive directors, Bill Coley, a 61-year-old American who until two years ago ran the US power company Duke Energy. laid the groundwork for the operational and cultural rebuilding of British Energy, he has decided to seek a new challenge elsewhere.” Mr Alexander, 54, was informed of his fate over the weekend after an emergency board meeting to discuss his future. But his abrupt departure, orchestrated by the British Energy chairman Adrian Montague, means he will miss out on a bonus potentially worth £6m if the company hits financial and operational targets over the next few years.Thanking Mr Alexander for seeing the company through the “complex and difficult restructuring”, Mr Montague added: “Now that he has … British Energy, the loss-making nuclear power producer, shocked the markets yesterday by ousting its chief executive just weeks after the completion of a £5bn government-backed rescue of the company.

Lawyers will have to bring cases to court because that will earn them more fees, even though their duty is to reach a settlement.”. A spokesman said: “This threatens the independence of the law When outside investors are brought in, they demand growth. It said allowing accountants and law firms to merge would risk Enron-style conflicts of interests. But there will need to be strict rules to ensure owners are fit and proper. External owners should not have access to confidential material, nor should they be allowed to place their own commercial interests in conflict with the interests of the clients.”But the Bar Council, which represents barristers, said it would have grave concerns over the integrity and impartiality of the legal profession if it was opened up to investors.