Latest news
Leading volume conveyancing firm goes into administration
Leading volume conveyancer Barnetts has today been broken into four after going into administration. However, no jobs are being lost at the Southport-based firm, whose senior partner, Richard Barnett, described the move as a “fantastic opportunity” for the firm.
Mid-sized firms have much more appetite for external investment than MDPs, survey finds
One in five mid-sized law firms expects to seek external investment to fund expansion within an alternative business structure, according to a major benchmarking survey. However, very few see a merger with non-lawyer professionals in their future.
SRA set for unrated insurer u-turn
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is set to perform a u-turn on allowing unrated insurers to offer solicitors cover after discovering that they do not always have the same protections as rated insurers.
Top insurer Markel wins approval to buy ABS – and its listed owner
The first acquisition of a listed company that in turn owns an alternative business structure went through last week after leading insurer Markel won court approval for the scheme of arrangement to buy Abbey Protection Group plc.
Government opens new front in criminal legal aid fight by bulking up Public Defender Service
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is bulking up the Public Defender Service (PDS) “as a way of breaking the dispute with advocates over fees”, it was claimed yesterday. The MoJ said last year that it viewed the PDS in part “as a safeguard against market failure”.
QASA given green light by High Court as JR fails
A judicial review of the Legal Services Board’s approval of the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocacy (QASA) has today been comprehensively rejected by the High Court.
High Court stiffens penalties against solicitors over “opaque” conveyancing quotes
A law firm whose clients were unaware of the true cost of their conveyancing after being reeled in with low quotes did not take unfair advantage of them, the High Court has ruled. However, the fines imposed by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal were too low.
SRA reveals some of 136 firms without PII insurance have “failed to close”
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has published a list of 136 firms that failed to renew their professional indemnity insurance since October, but said a small number have failed to close properly.
Cypriot construction consultancy becomes ABS for its international kudos
An international construction law consultancy has become an alternative business structure (ABS) in order to take advantage of the esteem in which English firms are held elsewhere in the world, in one of the more unusual ABSs seen to date.
Clifford Chance focuses on process as it trains all lawyers in ‘Continuous Improvement’ principles
Global giant Clifford Chance is rolling out firm-wide training in Continuous Improvement (CI) methodologies as it embraces the concept of law as a process. It has already reported increased efficiencies in several areas of operation.
Blog
Amplifying reach through employee-driven thought leadership
Nine in 10 executives believe thought leadership is critical to building authority, yet only a quarter feel they have implemented a robust strategy.
Divorce escrow: asset sales before final settlement
When significant matrimonial assets are sold before a final financial order is agreed, holding the proceeds safely and neutrally can present real practical challenges.
AML lacks clarity – and standards are suffering
If firms are buckling under the pressure of AML regulations, subject to ever-increasing fines, then something is clearly not working as it should be.
