Latest news
Council fined £120,000 after solicitor’s wayward e-mails breach data protection law
Stoke-on-Trent City Council has been fined £120,000 after an in-house solicitor sent highly sensitive information about a child protection case to the wrong e-mail address, rather than the barrister for whom it was intended.
Litigation funder eyes ABS as way to finance law firms’ contingency fee work
A litigation funder with £40m a year to invest is considering using alternative business structures to make funds available to law firms, according to its chief executive. They have to be prepared to work under damages-based agreements (contingency fees), however.
Be bold and ignore the vested interests, LETR told
There is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to produce a “bold blueprint” for change in legal education and training, but “vested interests” are striving to water it down, the Legal Services Consumer Panel has cautioned.
Online presence is main source of lead generation for commercial firms, says survey
Three-quarters of business law firms say that an online presence has been their single most effective tactic to generate new leads in the past year. The poll of 209 business-to-business law firms around the world found they are increasingly investing in their online activity.
ABS licence for top building society and estate agency
A volume conveyancing business owned by Britain’s fourth largest building society is targeting a move into other areas of legal services after receiving its alternative business structure (ABS) licence.
Legal Services Board head gives Bar Council public dressing-down
The chairman of the Legal Services Board has strongly criticised the Bar Council for its approach to dealing with the board, characterising its reaction to the Legal Services Act reforms as “walking backwards slowly”.
SRA lays out plan to implement referral fee ban
It will be for personal injury solicitors to convince the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) that they are not paying referral fees once the ban comes into force, it emerged today as the SRA published its long-awaited consultation on how it will implement the ban.
Top firms “waking up” to competition from ABSs – with one in five planning conversion themselves
Alternative business structures (ABSs) are increasingly on the radar of the top 100 law firms, with a growing number recognising them as threats to their profitability – and one in five planning ABS conversion themselves, according to new research.
Commercial claims company eyes ABS status
A commercial claims management company is considering converting to an alternative business structure (ABS) to further its work in aiding investors recoup losses from complex investments which they have been mis-sold.
Warning over “unbelievable” referral fee ban timetable that could leave firms just weeks to adapt
Law firms may have just weeks to reorganise their business plans once a decision is made on enforcing the ban on referral fees in personal injury work, a leading practitioner has warned while branding the situation “unbelievable”.
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”.
