Latest news
QASA consultation reveals youth court shift as solicitors express continuing concerns
A final consultation on the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates has been amended at the last minute to take into account objections raised by the board of the Bar Standards Board.
BSB defeats challenge to validity of disciplinary tribunal panel
The Bar Standards Board has successfully defended a challenge to the validity of a disciplinary tribunal, in the first case to be argued over flaws in the system of reappointing tribunal members.
Susskind: the market will “do its stuff” as ABSs drive unimagined efficiencies
It will take up to 10 years for the true effects of alternative business structures (ABSs) to be felt, Professor Richard Susskind said this week. He said the only certainty at the moment was that much of the £25bn legal market is “very inefficient”.
Training review to put values and ethics at “core of legal services”
Putting “values and ethics” at the heart of legal services provision will be one of the key themes taken forward by the Legal Education and Training Review following a major symposium in Manchester, along with quality of legal services and paralegals.
In brief: ABS-in-waiting unveils strong results, barrister libel ruling, and much more
Our latest news round-up reports on big turnover and profit increases at Quindell, a High Court ruling on the absolute privilege of correspondence with a regulator, new equality rules for chambers and much more.
Complex legal products risk the law’s own mis-selling scandal, ombudsman warns
The Chief Legal Ombudsman today warned of the risk of a payment protection insurance-type scandal engulfing the legal profession after collecting evidence of clients being sold complex and confusing legal products that they often struggled to understand.
France says ‘Non’ to ABS
Alternative business structures cannot be viewed as law firms and will not be allowed to operate in France, the body representing the 179 French bar associations has said. They claimed ABSs conflict with lawyers’ independence.
New CILEx president: give us independent practice rights
The absence of independent practice rights for chartered legal executives has created a series of “absurdities” and there is no sensible reason to deny those rights, the incoming president of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives has claimed.
No means test and no minimum payment for QOCS, government decides
There is to be no means test to benefit from qualified one-way costs-shifting, the government has announced. Justice minister Jonathan Djanogly provided an update on implementation of the Jackson reforms.
Jordans eyes up ABS to expand beyond company services
Well-known business services provider Jordans Ltd is to set up an alternative business structure aimed at handling outsourced legal work for both companies and law firms, it has emerged.
Blog
Amplifying reach through employee-driven thought leadership
Nine in 10 executives believe thought leadership is critical to building authority, yet only a quarter feel they have implemented a robust strategy.
Divorce escrow: asset sales before final settlement
When significant matrimonial assets are sold before a final financial order is agreed, holding the proceeds safely and neutrally can present real practical challenges.
AML lacks clarity – and standards are suffering
If firms are buckling under the pressure of AML regulations, subject to ever-increasing fines, then something is clearly not working as it should be.
