Latest news
SFO denied ‘voluntary bill of indictment’ to resurrect conspiracy case against lawyers and others
The Serious Fraud Office has failed in an unusual bid to resurrect a prosecution against six people, including three solicitors and a QC, over an alleged conspiracy to defraud three local authorities in Wales and the Coal Authority.
Lawyers will be seen in future as “small part of diverse legal ecosystem”
Regulated lawyers should be viewed in the future as “a small part of an increasingly diverse ecosystem”, the Legal Services Consumer Panel has said in a report being launched at today’s Legal Futures Annual Conference.
Terry quits as chairman of ailing Quindell
The pressure on AIM-listed alternative business structure Quindell has today resulted in founder and executive chairman Rob Terry resigning from the board of directors with immediate effect.
One in four top-250 firms mulling external investment
Almost one in four top-250 law firms are considering securing some form of external equity investment, according to a survey. The highest proportion said they would look to raise between £5m and £20m, many to fund acquisitions.
SRA takes 550 days from first report to refer solicitors to disciplinary tribunal
The time taken between serious misconduct being reported to the Solicitors Regulation Authority and a referral to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal is 550 days, the regulator has revealed in a new transparency push.
Bad news keeps on coming for Quindell as financial adviser quits
The turmoil at AIM-listed alternative business structure Quindell – which lost 45% of its value last week – has continued unabated this morning after announcing that its financial adviser and joint broker has resigned.
Competition and Markets Authority mulls review of legal sector
The Competition and Markets Authority is considering whether to launch a review of the legal services market, it has emerged. It was a report in 2001 by its predecessor, the Office of Fair Trading, which began the process that led to the Legal Services Act 2007.
Now MoJ sits on litigants in person report for over a year
The Ministry of Justice has failed to publish for over a year a major report on litigants in person in family law cases involving six universities, it has emerged.
“Overwhelming disagreement” made SRA change track on COFA responsibility
“Overwhelming disagreement” made the Solicitors Regulation Authority abandon a plan to make compliance officers sign declarations that their firms followed the accounts rules, it has emerged. But further changes to accountant’s reports are coming.
Quindell’s week of misery continues as shares dive on biggest institutional investor halving stake
The shares of alternative business structure Quindell plc suffered yet another dive yesterday after it emerged that the company’s largest institutional investor has halved its stake in recent months.
Blog
Reorientation in the AI era must begin with the client
Much of the discussion about AI in the legal industry focuses on technology: which tools to adopt and which tasks might get automated. But this misses the deeper story.
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.
