Latest news
Criminal barristers seek judicial review of LSB over QASA
A long-awaited judicial review of the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) has been launched by criminal law barristers against the Legal Services Board (LSB).
PE-fuelled Winns targets expansion after “nightmare” ABS process
Winn Solicitors – the firm which was last week bought by two private equity businesses – now has the firepower to expand beyond its core road traffic practice, founder Jeff Winn has told Legal Futures.
Leading trade union firms join forces to launch ‘Lawyers 4 Unions’
Pattinson & Brewer and Beecham Peacock have created a joint venture that widens both firms’ offering to trade unions. Lawyers 4 Unions – which is styled as ‘Pattinson Brewer in association with Beecham Peacock’ – was launched yesterday at the annual Trades Union Congress.
From celebrity lawyers to reputation defence business – ABS completes transformation
Well-known London law firm Schillings – which was granted two alternative business structure licences in March – has relaunched as a business that integrates IT security, legal advice and risk consulting to help companies and individuals protect their reputations.
QASA “to go ahead as planned” this month despite government climbdown over tendering
The government’s decision to drop the idea of price competitive tendering for criminal defence work is definitive proof that there is no link with the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates, which is going ahead as planned, the Bar Standards Board said yesterday.
Grant: primary legislation needed to transfer CMC complaints to Legal Ombudsman
Primary legislation will be required to bring complaints against claims management companies within the remit of the Legal Ombudsman, the government has admitted for the first time.
AIM-listed ABS eyes future benefits after law firm acquisition dents profits
Lewis Hymanson Small – the law firm bought by AIM-listed Abbey Protection earlier this year – made a small dent in the company’s profits during a “tough” initial period, Abbey’s half-year results have shown. They also lay out how much it paid for the Manchester practice.
Barrass to leave SRA
Samantha Barrass, who has led the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s work on licensing alternative business structures, is leaving to become chief executive of the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission.
Call to end “double regulation” of conveyancers through CQS and lender criteria
The Law Society’s conveyancing quality scheme and lender-specific requirements amount to double regulation of lawyers and there needs to be a sector-wide effort to resolve the problem, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers has urged.
SRA shuts down law firm after High Court questions fitness to practise
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has closed down an east London law firm less than a month after the High Court questioned its fitness to practise. The SRA intervened into the practice of Benny Thomas and Syed Tanweer Akhtar at Consilium Chambers LLP.
Blog
Small steps, big impact: how SME law firms are making legal tech work
For SME law firms, the priority is turning the potential of tech into measurable impact: success is driven not just by the technology, but by how firms approach planning and implementation.
Why housing disrepair claims against councils have leapt by nearly 400%
Housing disrepair claims against councils have surged dramatically in recent years, with some areas reporting increases approaching a staggering 400%.
Client accounts: Opportunity, obligation and the risks in between
The profitability gap between well-run firms and the rest is not primarily a function of size, location or practice area – it is a function of financial management.
