Latest news
Legal Ombudsman to launch online complaints portal
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) is to launch a complaints portal this month that will enable lawyers to manage all of their contact with the organisation online. LeO will also encourage consumers to manage their complaint through the portal.
March of the accountants, part 2: ICAEW announces first ABS licence
Top-20 firm Kingston Smith has become the first accountancy firm to be licensed as an alternative business structure by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales to carry out probate work.
Law firm and charity join forces in groundbreaking ABS
Hampshire law firm Moore Blatch has teamed up with national spinal injury charity Aspire to launch the first alternative business structure of its kind. Aspire Law will open for business on 3 November, offering a specialist service to people with spinal cord injuries.
March of the accountants – now KPMG gains ABS licence
KPMG has become the second member of the ‘Big Four’ accountants to be awarded an alternative business structure licence. However, unlike PwC, KPMG said it has no intention of developing a standalone legal practice.
Merger mania grips firms across the country
Mergers have been announced across the country in recent days, with firms of all sizes and practice areas choosing to join forces. There is usually a rush of mergers each year timed to coincide with the 30 September deadline to secure professional indemnity insurance.
Legal executive litigators could be here by November
Fellows of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executors (CILEx) could be carrying out litigation without supervision by solicitors from the end of November, it has emerged.
“Ignorance of new rules is no defence”, ministry tells CMCs
Ignorance of the rules is no defence where there have been breaches, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has told claims management companies (CMCs) in guidance notes for a new set of rules which come into force today.
Legal recruitment consultant sets up commercial law ABS
Stuart Gillespie, founder of recruitment company G2 Legal, has set up a commercial law alternative business structure with his in-house solicitor, Lucy Tarrant. They are partners in Cognitive Law LLP.
On-the-run former solicitor jailed for £1m stamp duty fraud
A former solicitor who stole almost £1m through stamp duty fraud has been sentenced to ten years in jail. Shameer Sacranie, 40, from Leicester is believed to have fled the country and was sentenced in his absence last week.
‘DIY law’ entrepreneur relaunches landlord website
Legal entrepreneur Brad Askew has relaunched a property website for landlords, which attracts up to 600,000 unique visits a year. The Tenancy Agreement Service is aimed particularly at the 78% of Britain’s 3.5m private landlords who only let one property.
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.
