Latest news
Bringing all legal advice into regulatory net may resolve consumer confusion, says LSB chief
The status quo over reserved and unreserved legal activities is unsustainable and the answer may be for all legal advice to be regulated, the chief executive of the Legal Services Board has suggested.
Licensed conveyancers support retaining referral fees
A ban on referral fees in conveyancing is unjustifiable, according to a narrow majority of respondents to a Council for Licensed Conveyancers consultation – but there was strong support for enhanced disclosure requirements.
Barrister boss of SueSomeone.co.uk eyes ABS as he hits out at litigation ban
A barrister who has built a thriving direct access practice through a public-facing website is considering whether an alternative business structure will help him deal with the problems caused by the ban on conducting litigation.
Jordans recruits senior in-house lawyer to spearhead ABS
Corporate services provider Jordans has turned to the head of legal at a leading business process outsourcer to spearhead its planned alternative business structure. Debbie Farman, formerly legal director of Vertex, will lead a team of lawyers, paralegals and corporate compliance experts.
SRA: new ‘growth duty’ could give rejected firms and individuals stick to beat us with
Government plans to subject regulators to a duty to have regard to growth could lead to challenges of any decision to refuse approval of a new law firm or alternative business structure, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has warned.
Exclusive: legal advice charity becomes first not-for-profit to set up an ABS
A legal advice charity in Leicester has become the first not-for-profit organisation to set up an alternative business structure (ABS), Legal Futures can reveal. The Community Advice and Law Service has won approval to launch Castle Park Solicitors Community Interest Company.
Reed Smith thinks big by signing up to major work experience initiative
US/UK law firm Reed Smith becomes first legal practice to sign up to a major initiative aimed at opening up access to work experience opportunities to anyone with an Internet connection. The firm has joined the likes of ITN, Capgemini, MediaCom, ZenithMedia, Channel 4 and Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen.
Last-ditch bid to delay QASA rejected as Deech argues for necessity of scheme
A last-minute Law Society bid to delay the controversial Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) until after the government’s consultation on price competitive tendering for criminal work was yesterday rejected by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
“Pointless” consultation to set out SRA plan to pay soaring intervention costs from compensation fund
Solicitors Regulation Authority plans to consult on whether the cost of interventions in failing law firms should be borne by the Compensation Fund have been queried as pointless because there is no realistic alternative.
New duty to support growth should not allow regulators to block “risky business models”
A proposed statutory duty on frontline regulators to consider economic growth must not be used to probe the business plans of new entrants to the market or block “risky business models”, the Legal Services Board has cautioned.
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”.
