Latest news
Revealed: Legal Ombudsman puts 10% of staff at risk of redundancy
The Legal Ombudsman has put around 10% of its staff at risk of redundancy as it undertakes a restructuring brought about by receiving fewer complaints than expected. It has been exacerbated by difficulties in transferring over the handling of complaints about CMCs.
Barristers join the revolution after receiving green light to conduct litigation
Barristers will be allowed to conduct litigation and form associations with non-barristers after the Legal Services Board approved the new Bar Standards Board code of conduct. The revolution will begin in January 2014.
Exclusive: US website that aims to create a ‘legal ecosystem’ targets UK
A new ‘find a lawyer’ service just launched in America has designs on coming to the UK next year, Legal Futures can reveal. The long-term goal of LawVisors is to be a “legal ecosystem” for lawyers and clients alike.
Plant lays out agenda after receiving extra year at helm of SRA
Charles Plant, chairman of the board of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, has been re-appointed for a further year, it was announced yesterday. His term of office will now expire on 31 December 2014, when he will have led the board for five years.
BSB complaints regime: thumbs up from barristers, thumbs down from complainants
There is a “disappointing and inexplicable” widening of the gap between the views of barristers and complainants when dealing with the Bar Standards Board complaints procedures. The barristers’ regulator has gone backwards in the public’s perception.
CMCs’ turnover tops £1bn as referral fee ban prompts mass exodus from personal injury
The turnover of claims management companies spiralled 31% last year to top £1bn, with the turnover for the financial claims sector exceeding that of personal injury companies for the first time, Ministry of Justice figures have shown.
SRA to ditch reporting requirement for non-material rule breaches
The requirement on law firms to report non-material breaches to the Solicitors Regulation Authority is set to be ditched in time for this year’s annual information submission. The board of the SRA will tomorrow be asked to approve changes to the SRA Handbook.
Under-pressure firms find merger salvation
The Jackson reforms, legal aid changes and stagnant corporate work drove a record year in law firm mergers during 2012, according to new research. Strategic mergers could help convince creditors that solicitors remain a good credit risk, it also suggested.
Beech focuses on immediate goals after Caan sets sights on Knights reaching top 20
The managing partner of private equity-backed Knights Solicitors has reinforced his short-term plans after investor James Caan revealed ambitions to gatecrash the UK’s top 20 law firms. Mr Cann outlined long-term acquisition goals to send the £10m turnover Staffordshire firm soaring.
Exclusive: venture capitalists invest in leading probate provider
The venture capitalists already invested in the UK’s first alternative business structure have added one of the country’s largest probate and estate administration providers to their portfolio, Legal Futures can reveal.
Blog
The best legal AI doesn’t replace rules-based engines – it completes them
There is a belief circulating in legal tech that AI can solve everything – that LLMs are universally superior to what came before. It is not always true, however.
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%.
