Latest news
Fairpoint “has platform” for further law firm acquisitions
Fairpoint Group plc – which last year bought two law firms – said today that its financial success in 2014 has laid the foundations for further acquisitions. The AIM-listed business hitherto focused on ‘debt solutions’.
Law school ABS aims to provide paid-for advice to young entrepreneurs
Nottingham Law School, the first in the country to apply for an alternative business structure (ABS) licence, aims to offer young entrepreneurs a paid-for business advice service, it has emerged.
Law firms “getting even worse” at handling telephone enquiries, says mystery shopper
The way law firms handle telephone enquiries from prospective clients is so bad that “it’s as if every managing partner in the land met up at a secret location and agreed the worst way possible to deal with them”, a leading consultant has claimed.
Slater & Gordon “closing in” on £900m Quindell deal
Quindell confirmed today that it is considering a deal with Slater & Gordon that would see the listed Australian firm buy its legal division for £640m plus receipts from the settlement of noise-induced hearing loss cases.
SME law firms’ strong performance creates investment pressure
Small to medium-sized UK law firms are enjoying a sustained period of economic recovery, but face new challenges arising from renewed growth, according to a major study examining a wide range of performance indicators.
Bitcoin specialist ABS rides litigation wave from volatile digital currency
A partner at a small West London firm has taken ‘niche’ to a new level by specialising in litigation resulting from the first few turbulent years of digital currency bitcoin.
Large conveyancing firms grab market share as firm numbers fall
The biggest conveyancing firms have benefited the most from the recession, while the number of practices involved in conveyancing has continued to fall, a survey has revealed.
The first “teaching law firm”? Law school applies for ABS licence
Nottingham Law School, part of Nottingham Trent University, has applied to the Solicitors Regulation Authority for an alternative business structure licence that would allow it to create a “teaching law firm”.
SRA delays second phase of reforms on submitting accountants’ reports
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has delayed the introduction of the second phase of its reforms of the rules on submitting accountants’ reports from next month to November this year.
MPs tell government to consult on formal regulation of McKenzie Friends
MPs have called on the government to consult on whether there should be formal regulation of McKenzie Friends, whether or not they charge fees. They said encouraging the use of McKenzie Friends “may in some circumstances amount to a counsel of despair”.
Blog
Awaab’s Law phase 2: New hazards council tenants can now claim for
The conversation on housing disrepair is moving beyond damp and mould alone. With the rollout of phase 2 of Awaab’s Law, the scope of issues covered is expanding significantly,
Beyond PCP: Can regulators and lawyers work better together next time?
Nearly a decade after the Financial Conduct Authority began investigating the car finance industry, the story of the PCP commission scandal is still unfinished.
Accountability has to live within governance, not with one person
The assumption has long been that a COLP or COFA is personally exposed to the consequences of anti-money laundering breaches.
