Law firm hit again

SLATER and Gordon is battling an ugly case of deja vu after a second writedown on a British division sent shareholders scurrying. The law firm yesterday booked a $350.3 million impairment charge against the value of its British assets, citing an ongoing underperformance in personal injury claims. It follows an $879 million writedown on its goodwill — mostly due to its UK division — a year earlier when the group crashed to a $1 billion first-half loss.