Latest news
Legal advisory business run by struck-off solicitor forced into liquidation
A legal advice business run by a struck-off solicitor has been ordered into liquidation in the High Court on grounds of public interest following an investigation by the Insolvency Service.
US firm in ABS first as PI mediation service and major council legal team also licenced
A personal injury claims mediation business, an American law firm and one of the largest local authority shared legal services in the country are among the latest alternative business structures to be licensed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
High Court: SDT wrong to reject solicitor’s medical evidence but right to strike him off
The High Court has upheld a decision by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) to strike off solicitor Timothy Schools, but said that evidence about the state of his health should not have been rejected.
Keep legal executives out of the Crown Court, Rivlin report demands
A report for the Bar Council on the future of criminal justice and advocacy has recommended that legal executives are kept out of the Crown Courts, while solicitors should only be granted rights of audience if they have undergone the same level of training as barristers.
Slater & Gordon announcement strengthens shareholder claims against Quindell, say lawyers
Yesterday’s announcement of the deal for Slater & Gordon to buy Quindell’s professional services division provided details that are likely to strengthen the case being brought against Quindell by disgruntled shareholders, their lawyers have said.
Lawyers raise fears over ‘equivalent means’ route to qualification
The legal community has mixed feelings about the ‘equivalent means’ route to qualification as a solicitor, with even those who like the idea fearing the consquences of greater competition and consequently lower wages, according to a survey.
Government cuts regulation for firms involved in consumer credit work
The government has reduced the scope of regulation for law firms involved in consumer credit work, such as debt collection. It has also increased the ability of firms to offer payment by instalments.
Slater & Gordon strikes £677m deal to buy Quindell’s professional services division
Slater & Gordon has entered into an agreement to acquire Quindell plc’s professional services division in return for upfront consideration of £637m, with an estimated £40m to follow from a 50% earn-out from existing noise-induced hearing loss cases.
Veyo: 1,880 firms express interest
The claim last week by conveyancing portal Veyo that “just under a half of conveyancing firms in England and Wales have now registered” with it means simply that they have provided basic contact details to keep up-to-date with developments, Legal Futures has established.
BSB mulls replacing prescriptive cab-rank rule with guiding principle
The Bar Standards Board has finally published a consultation on changes to the standard contractual terms and the cab-rank rule – almost eight months later than it had originally promised.
Blog
Mazur: a symptom not a cause?
If Mazur is a symptom, what does it mean for the underlying health of our civil justice system: the ‘finest legal system in the world’?
Cross-generation collaboration: the key to in-house legal tech adoption
In-house legal function leaders will increasingly have to evolve their thinking on how to manage multigenerational teams containing differing levels of technological expertise.
AI and law firm risk – the view of professional indemnity insurers
In considering law firm applications for cover, many insurers will expect to see evidence of how firms are adapting to AI and preparing for the future.
