The essential guide to conduct, compliance and competence, and the Legal Services Act
Outsourcing
News in brief: jailed solicitor loses appeal, PC renewal progress, onshore LPO boost, and much more
Our regular news round-up reports on a jailed solicitor’s appeal against his seven-year sentence, an SRA update on PC renewal, Integreon’s new LPO facility, the new Law Society advocacy section, pressure on HSBC over conveyancing and Herbert Smith expanding in Belfast.
How to compete with LPO providers
The fallout from the financial crisis as well as growing threats from the legal process outsourcing industry is making it even more difficult for legal practices to juggle client expectations and fee income, says Peter Collins. Many are looking to manage their own resources more effectively.
Narrowing pay gap with Asia “encouraging” law firms to set up domestic outsourcing operations
The narrowing gap between wages paid in the UK and in booming Asian economies mean offshore legal process outsourcing providers are facing a growing threat from law firms setting up their own onshore operations, an LPO consultancy has claimed.
SRA to roll out relationship management to all big firms
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to roll out supervision of large City and national law firms through relationship management after a successful pilot. The year-long pilot also highlighted outsourcing as an issue to which the SRA needs to pay particular attention.
News in brief: SRA renewals delay, referral fee “ignorance”, and much more
Our regular round-up of news you need to know includes the appeal court quashing an ILEX disciplinary ruling, delays for solicitors renewing practising certificates, a survey of young drivers on referral fees, a survey finding support for outsourcing and much more besides.
Susskind: five years until legal market reaches “endgame”
The relationship between large law firms and general counsel is likely to evolve in three phases, with the “endgame” around five years away, Professor Richard Susskind has predicted. He also expects the large accountancy firms to return to the arena.
General counsel eyeing legal services “production line”, Oxford research finds
The spiralling costs of legal services is prompting some leading general counsel to consider a “production line” approach to handling legal work, with more companies looking to go offshore or in-house, according to new research from an Oxford professor.
ABA ethics commission outlines beefed-up outsourcing rules
Plans to clarify the ethics of outsourcing work to lawyers and non-lawyers, and the circumstances in which outsourcing would be wrong, are to be put to the American Bar Association (ABA). The “initial draft proposals” go further than an initial draft published last year.
City firm develops technology alternative to legal process outsourcing
City law firm Taylor Wessing has launched a division offering pioneering technology to handle data mining, contract management and due diligence as a “value-added” alternative to legal process outsourcing.
News in brief: honest feedback for LeO, law firm finances, LPO survey and much more
Our regular round-up of snippets of news that you need to know takes in the Legal Ombudsman, conveyancing, financial difficulties for law firms, a shortfall of LPC graduates, the first divorce app, new members for LawNet, an LPO survey, the new Law Society deputy vice-president, and Expert Answers’ affiliate programme.
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Associate News
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QualitySolicitors Keith Park implements Peppermint Portal
David Thorpe joins fast-growing technology innovator Peppermint Technology
DAS appoints head of marketing
Take client interaction to the next level with the Peppermint Platform
LexisNexis Visualfiles Helps Essex Legal Services deliver savings for the Public Law Partnership
Roadshow highlights potential perils of new COLP/COFA roles
