Latest news
Law Society makes SRA power grab
The Law Society should regain control over training, authorisation to practise and standard setting – reabsorbing a significant proportion of the Solicitors Regulation Authority in the process – solicitors’ professional body has argued.
LSB urges Chancery Lane to find budget savings
The Legal Services Board has urged the Law Society and Solicitors Regulation Authority to “actively look for savings opportunities” after the society’s budget increased by £11.5m for the next year. It also criticised a lack of consultation with fee payers over what they will have to pay.
Police investigate death of solicitor facing disciplinary tribunal
Around 30 detectives and police staff are now working full-time investigating the “suspicious” death of a Durham solicitor who was due to appear before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. Peter Thomas Maine, aged 56, was found with stab wounds.
Private equity pair take majority stake in leading PI firm
Winn Solicitors – which has grown in a decade from nothing to a highly profitable £40m volume claimant personal injury firm – is set for further expansion after being bought by two international investment companies.
SRA makes bid to free itself from Law Society shackles
It is time for truly independent regulation of the solicitors’ profession to stop attempts by the Law Society to interfere, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has told the government. It also reiterated a call for all legal activities to be brought within the scope of regulation.
Information Commissioner to probe law firms that used rogue private investigators
Law firms which used rogue private investigators are now facing an investigation into whether they breached the Data Protection Act, the Information Commissioner’s Office has announced. There are said to be 22 law firms involved.
Time for a single regulator and code of conduct? Consumer panel calls for the nuclear option
A single regulator for all legal services providers and a single code of conduct is the way forward for the market, the Legal Services Consumer Panel argued today. It essentially recommended tearing up the Legal Services Act 2007 and starting again.
Third of law firms under financial pressure, says Company Watch
A third of law firms are under financial pressure and may require refinancing or an injection of capital, new research has found. Financial health specialist Company Watch said that 898 of the 2,600 firms it investigated were in trouble.
Leading ABSs take next steps forward
Slater & Gordon has now formally acquired personal injury firm Goodmans, giving the alternative business structure (ABS) a Liverpool base for the first time. Meanwhile, Co-operative Legal Services has launched its academy to offer career progression to all staff.
Law Society enters PII market for small firms
With just a month to go before solicitors have to renew their professional indemnity insurance (PII), the Law Society has today launched its much-anticipated offering for firms of one to four partners that cuts out brokers.
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.
