Latest news
Barrister snub to diversity monitoring “embarrassing” and “pathetic”
Only a handful of the 15,000-plus members of the Bar have disclosed information such as whether they went to public or state schools, in a snub to the chairs of the Bar and the Bar Standards Board (BSB) who had personally requested it.
QASA: agreement reached but implementation delayed
Introduction of the controversial Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) has been delayed, it was announced today. It was meant to start at the end of January, but no new date has now been set as more details are worked out.
LSB to begin probe into whether ‘general legal advice’ should be reserved
The investigation of whether ‘general legal advice’ should become a reserved legal activity will begin next year, the Legal Services Board has revealed. It has also given a strong steer on what it hopes to see come out of the Legal Education and Training Review
Home-buyers have little interest in conveyancing from brand names, says survey
Just 8% of recent home-buyers would seek out a big brand such as the Co-op to handle their conveyancing the next time they move, a consumer survey has found as Conveyancing Association launched customer service ‘pledges’ that it says are a first for the industry.
City lawyers speak out against plans to limit government consultations
Government plans to streamline the process of consulting on policy changes will diminish public engagement in decision making and with it the “free, world class” advice of City law firms, according to a senior spokesman for the capital’s lawyers.
Listed insurance company set for law firm acquisition after gaining ABS licence
Well-known legal expenses insurer Abbey Protection plc should complete its acquisition of a law firm early next year, it revealed yesterday after receiving an alternative business structure (ABS) licence from the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
CA clears law firm of £185,000 mortgage fraud liability after being duped by bogus practice
The Court of Appeal has reversed a ruling that held a solicitors’ firm caught up in a mortgage fraud liable for the loss after being tricked by a bogus practice. The High Court had ruled that Davisons Solicitors in Birmingham had to repay £184,500 to the Nationwide Building Society.
LSB lays down challenge to regulators – prove you can do the job or face action
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has told the regulators it oversees that now is the time for them to prove they can deliver what is expected of them, warning that it will put their promises “to the test”. The LSB said its focus in 2013/14 will be on the performance of the regulators.
More profitable private client departments have fewer secretaries, research finds
Private client departments with fewer secretaries are more profitable, new research has suggested. The mini-survey found that firms with less than one secretary for every two fee-earners reported a gross profit margin of 52%, as against 44% for firms with a higher ratio.
New Bar chief keeps up anti-LSB rhetoric
The new Bar Council chairman has pledged to work towards proving that the Legal Services Board is not needed. In a stinging attack, Maura McGowan QC warned that “it is not the function of a regulator to seek the total dismantling and restructuring of the system”.
Blog
When AI becomes a line on the client’s bill
On 23 June, Legora changed how it charges. The platform announced that its most capable product was moving away from a flat per-seat licence fee to consumption-based pricing
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.
