Latest news
Call to restrict scope of PII cover as 1,000 firms face risk of closure
The risk of as many as 1,000 law firms having to shut down because they cannot find professional indemnity insurance means it is time to narrow the scope of the cover solicitors are required to have, a leading adviser has argued.
Outsourcing giant enters market with Optima Legal acquisition
Outsourcing giant Capita plc has reached a conditional agreement to acquire Optima Legal Services pending the grant of an alternative business structure licence.
“Productive and innovative” ABSs beginning to make their mark, says LSB
New business structures are more productive and innovative than traditional law firms, Legal Services Board research has found. It also said that alternative business structures are “starting to have an impact” on some parts of the market and collectively have a 5% market share.
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal: increase in dishonesty findings and strike-offs
The number of solicitors found to be dishonest and struck off rose in the past year, even though there has been a sharp fall in the number of applications made to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, according to its annual report.
SRA refuses to licence ABSs aiming to circumvent referral fee ban
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has rejected potential alternative business structures on the basis that the aim was really to continue illegal referral fee arrangements, it emerged this week.
ASA rejects complaints from unhappy client unable to post negative review on ratings website
The Advertising Standards Authority has rejected complaints that positive online reviews for a law firm were fake and that the website hosting them would not accept negative reviews. This was the first complaint of its kind involving a law firm.
Consumers fear stepping into the unknown when using lawyers, says SRA
Not knowing what to expect when using a lawyer is the key problem faced by many consumers, research by the Solicitors Regulation Authority has found. The SRA, with other legal regulators, is set to tackle this in part through a new consumer-facing website, called Legal Choices.
The legal textbook publisher that’s now a law firm
Jordans – the business known for company formation services and publishing legal textbooks – now has a corporate law firm after receiving its alternative business structure licence.
NAH teams up with top insurer as PI firm unveils trio of ABSs
Minster Law – the major claimant practice now owned by insurance group BGL – has joined top personal injury marketing business National Accident Helpline (NAH), becoming its largest panel member.
MoJ insists it has “appetite” for legal regulation review
The Ministry of Justice has dismissed suggestions that it is not committed to its review of legal regulation. However, it is not putting a timetable on how quickly it will decide the next steps after reviewing the submissions received.
Blog
Which legal AI will still matter in 12 months?
Four years ago, when senior partners asked me which legal AI they should buy, I would have walked them through a vendor comparison. Now I tell them the question is wrong.
Supreme Court redraws line between member and employee in LLPs
For anyone advising professional services firms on LLP structuring, and of course for those in LLPs themselves, last week’s Supreme Court ruling is an essential read.
Charting a new course for publicly funded legal services
The current Legal Aid Agency model is inherently flawed and it goes beyond mere data breaches – it cannot innovatively respond to increasing challenges.
