Latest news
Judge cites Karl Marx in rejecting law firm’s bid to exit professional indemnity scheme
A global law firm has been knocked back by a judge quoting Karl Marx, after seeking a waiver from the Isle of Man Law Society’s indemnity insurance requirements.
Online barrister service seeks crowdfunding to back major expansion plans
A website that connects the public directly with barristers is the latest legal business to seek crowdfunding after it launched a bid to raise £150,000 in expansion capital. The site, myBarrister, wants to sign up 1,000 barristers by the end of the year.
Judge rejects solicitor’s anonymity bid to hide tax penalty from SRA
A solicitor has lost an appeal against an HMRC refusal to anonymise its decision, so as to prevent the Solicitors Regulation Authority from discovering that a penalty had been imposed on him for ‘deliberate inaccuracy’.
Sir Michael Pitt to be new LSB chairman
Senior civil servant Sir Michael Pitt will take over from David Edmonds as chairman of the Legal Services Board (LSB), it has been announced. Mr Pitt has no legal background and was chief executive of the Planning Inspectorate for three years from March 2011.
Withers negligence case set to rumble on
The negligence case brought against leading London law firm Withers – which led last week to a ruling that it pay out £1.6m over a drafting error – is set to continue after its former client announced an intention to appeal a part of the claim that failed.
Pioneering online dispute resolution service launches divorce package
A groundbreaking online dispute resolution (ODR) service is gearing up for live trials of its expanded 2.0 version, which will initially offer an end-to-end legal support package for divorcing couples.
Smaller may be better to thrive in new legal world, report suggests
Small firms and sole practitioners may turn out to be the stars of the legal services revolution, according to a survey which this week claimed it has identified among them a new breed of successful and entrepreneurial lawyer.
Minority groups condemn SRA race report
The six lawyer groups that advise the Solicitors Regulation Authority on its equality and diversity strategy have condemned as “fundamentally flawed” last week’s report on the disproportionate representation of black and minority ethnic solicitors in the regulator’s disciplinary work.
Osborne extinguishes any lingering hopes of LLP tax rethink
The Chancellor George Osborne yesterday confirmed that there would be no delay in introducing the changes to the way LLPs are taxed, which has left many firms seeking funding for capital contributions.
New phishing alert over bogus Law Society e-mails
Solicitors have been warned to be on alert for scam e-mails that appear to come from the Law Society and have attachments that potentially contain a virus. It follows the recent phishing attack using e-mails that looked as though the SRA had sent them.
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,
