Latest news
ABS brings together conveyancing with estate agency and financial advice
A solicitor has merged her law practice with the family estate agency and finance business in an alternative business structure that is thought to be the first in Cumbria.
Leading civil liberties firm receives Times apology over Magdalene launderies claim
Leading civil liberties practice Hodge Jones & Allen has received a full apology and damages from The Times newspaper over an article which accused the firm of misleading victims of the Magdalene laundries in Ireland.
Call for QC reaccreditation as QASA challenge staggers on
The possibility of introducing re-accreditation for QCs, meaning that silk would no longer be a permanent appointment, and a power to strip them of the rank in the event of misconduct, was floated last week.
Lawyers and consumers at odds over control of appointments to the SRA
The Law Society found itself at loggerheads with the Legal Services Consumer Panel last week after the pair placed themselves on opposite sides of the debate over who should run the process of choosing the chairman and board of the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Solicitor struck off after misusing money meant for counsel
A London solicitor has been struck off after using client money that should have been paid to barristers to settle their fees. Paul Francis Fallon, who was at City Law Financial LLP at the time of the offences, was struck off last week.
Quindell spending £150m a year on upfront case acquisition
Alternative business structure Quindell plc is spending nearly £150m a year in upfront case acquisition costs, it has emerged. The AIM-listed group is also developing a “collaboration protocol” with insurers that will lead to the pre-payment of legal costs.
Litigants right to fear high legal costs, says government research
The fears of litigants about the high cost of legal representation were borne out by their experience, government-commissioned research has found.
Huge drop in new tenancies at the Bar – or not?
The number of tenancies available for newly qualified barristers collapsed in the most recent year for which figures are available, the annual Bar Barometer has revealed. But the Bar Council and Bar Standards Board now say it is wrong.
Groundbreaking ABS embraces employee ownership and new approach to charging
A pioneering alternative business structure (ABS) has become one of the first legal practices to introduce employee ownership, while also developing a new form of billing that will see it agree a profit margin with clients, Legal Futures can reveal.
FTSE-250 wealth manager awarded ABS licence
A FTSE-250 wealth management company is to launch an alternative business structure (ABS), it has emerged. The ABS is owned by Rathbone Brothers plc, a venerable City institution whose origins date back to 1742.
Blog
Preparing people for the pace of technological change
While technology often dominates the conversation, I believe the most important challenge facing law firms is not adopting new tools – it is preparing people to adapt alongside them.
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,
