Searching Finance is delighted to announce that Simon Deane-Johns has signed with us to write (current working title) ''Without Precedent, A Lawyer's Adventures in Social Media''.

Some more about Simon...

''Simon is a lawyer who specialises in online retail financial services, e-commerce and IT.

His clients include an online retailer, e-money and payment service providers and peer-to-peer finance platforms.

Previously, he was on full-time assignment at Amazon.com; General Counsel & Company Secretary (and a co-founder) of Zopa, the world's first online marketplace where people lend directly to each other; Legal & Compliance Director for a mortgage business in GE; and a Director and General Counsel of Earthport plc, the listed payment services provider.

Simon also initiated and co-ordinated e-commerce strategy for DLA; worked in the Reuters legal department in London and New York, and spent four years as a barrister in Sydney. Simon is also admitted as an Attorney in New York State and a barrister in Australia. He is a member of SCL's media board and a delegate to the 'mydata' Interoperability Board.''

All of which sounds a bit dry (which Simon isn't at all).

Without Precedent, A Lawyer's Adventures in Social Media is published by Searching Finance later this year. In addition to Simon's prose, the book will also contain some very fetching cartoons.