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Economic pressures forcing solicitors to ‘commoditise’ their advice “throw into sharp focus the need for standard form letters of advice to be clear in their exposition”, the Court of Appeal warned yesterday.

The leading specialist solicitor in regulation matters yesterday urged the Solicitors Regulation Authority not to approach law firms with the worst possible assumptions and warned it was driving a wedge between the regulator and the profession.

Professional negligence as a discrete body of law could disappear if restrictions on the liability of professionals continue to be swept aside as social attitudes towards them also change, Lord Justice Jackson has predicted.

The trend towards fewer, bigger law firms and fewer partners is continuing, despite increasing numbers of practicing solicitors, the annual Law Society statistical report has confirmed.

Slater & Gordon has hit its target of raising £456m from a share issue to fund its acquisition of Quindell plc’s professional services division. Around 70% of the £637m initial purchase price is being funded through new shares, with the rest through bank debt.

All but one of the entities authorised by the Bar Standards Board since the beginning of this month consist of a single barrister, with the other made up of two barristers, it has emerged.

A groundbreaking alternative business structure that last year embraced employee ownership has seen the valuation of its shares rise 15% over the past 12 months. Staff at Triton Global each received a free initial tranche of shares and nearly two-thirds have since invested further to the collective tune of £58,000.

Plans to offer solicitors the option of a “third-party managed accounts” instead of the traditional client account have divided opinions, with some criticising a lack of detail and questioning whether the move would reduce fraud.

Lord Dyson has praised a French online dispute resolution (ODR) website for opening up justice and said he hoped “something similar” would be created in this country.

A solicitor has launched an app which he hopes will be the equivalent of taxi service Uber for legal and accountancy advice by allowing consumers to find, connect with and later review their advisers.