Latest news
Barristers to have tools to compete with solicitors as BSB seeks approval for liberalisation
An end to the bans on self-employed barristers conducting litigation and sharing premises or forming associations with non-barristers is in sight as the Bar Standards Board laid out the first stage of its major liberalisation programme.
LSB director questions independence of frontline regulators from the lawyers they oversee
The influence of lawyers and professional bodies on their frontline regulators is the biggest risk to independent regulation in the law, the strategy director of the Legal Services Board has claimed. Crispin Passmore said a combination of factors led him to “worry how independent regulation actually is”.
SRA chief executive to stand down after seven years
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has announced that chief executive Antony Townsend will be stepping down later in the year. He will leave once his successor has been appointed, having been in charge since its inception in 2006.
You ain’t seen nothing yet, says top banker, with flood of investment and mergers on way
There will be an “enormous amount” of external investment and merger activity in the legal market over the next 24 months, a leading investment banker has predicted. He said investment had only been held back by uncertainty in the volume market.
Unbundled legal services and hourly rates don’t mix, warns Law Society
Family lawyers offering unbundled legal services should be wary of charging clients on an hourly basis, the Law Society has warned. It said “this could increase the risk of the retainer being more broadly interpreted”.
Stobart Barristers sets sights on criminal legal aid contract
Stobart Barristers – the direct access service run by the famous logistics company – has given a strong indication that it will bid for the new criminal legal aid contracts the government is set to offer under price competitive tendering.
Will Lord Sugar enter the law? Dynamo Legal founder seeks £250,000 investment
New legal brand Dynamo Legal is set to receive a major publicity boost next week when its founder appears on The Apprentice in a bid to win Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment for the business. Alex Mills is looking to recruit 245 firms to the network.
Flood stokes cab-rank rule argument
The row over Legal Services Board-commissioned research that recommended removal of the cab-rank rule stepped up a further notch yesterday after one of the academics who conducted it hit back at the critiques published by the Bar Council and Bar Standards Board.
Law Society to tell its council: you can dissent but do so nicely
Rules strengthening ‘collegiality’ among members of the Law Society council and the way they express dissent are to be voted on this month. Changes to the code of conduct for council members also seek to impose collective responsibility on chairs of the society’s various boards.
Interest swap mis-selling claims company eyes ABS status
A claims management company specialising in interest-rate swap mis-selling could become an alternative business structure in order to litigate its own cases. All Square Treasury has just announced the appointment of a legal director.
Blog
The SRA needs to admit it got it wrong about SLAPPs
The High Court judgment in Ashley Hurst v SRA in January raises serious questions about the regulator’s approach to allegations of SLAPP-like behaviour.
Why menopause support belongs on every law firm’s agenda
Progression in the law slows significantly as women approach senior leadership. Most will be at the height of their careers around the average age menopause symptoms begin.
Law firms need to go beyond document checks
At the root of every failed compliance review is a familiar phrase: a calm assertion of “but we did a document check”.
