Latest news
Increased tribunal delays have “profound impact” on claimants
An increase in delays in the administrative justice system, caused partly by a huge rise in caseloads for certain tribunals, has had a “profound and often compounding” impact on users.
CA to decide if duping opposing solicitor is abuse of process
The Court of Appeal is to decide whether a party’s attempt to deceive a solicitor for the other side into disclosing client information is, on its own, an abuse of process.
Public awareness of class actions continues to grow
The UK public’s awareness of class actions and litigation funding is continuing to rise, new research has found.
Fifth of larger chambers not accessible to disabled people
Almost a fifth of the largest 200 sets of chambers are not accessible to mobility impaired people, a Bar Council report has found.
Mazur appeal lawyer sets out Court of Appeal battleground
The Court of Appeal hearing the Mazur case will have to decide between statutory interpretation and “the contextual argument”, the solicitor bringing the appeal said last week.
SRA hands out £550k in AML fines in three months
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has levied fines totalling £550,000 in the past three months on law firms that breached basic anti-money laundering rules.
Solicitor “wrong” to advise client to covertly record meeting
A solicitor was “quite wrong” to advise his client to make a covert recording of testing undertaken by their opponent’s medical expert, the High Court has ruled.
Highest-earning barristers set to pay more to practise
The Bar Council and Bar Standards Board are looking to increase the cost of practising for barristers by 4% in the coming year, with a new band for those earning £2m.
Move aside PE – “patient minority investors” target top law firms
The future of investment in the law will be more patient, minority investors who would appeal to the top 50 law firms, which to date have shown little interest in private equity.
Significant increase in threats against solicitors
The level of threats, intimidation and even physical violence faced by solicitors has “significantly increased” and extends across a wide range of practice areas, the Law Society has warned.
Blog
The importance of benchmarking reports – and lessons on profitability
Regional firms reported the largest revenue growth this year (12%), outpacing their City counterparts. Yet many are not converting that growth into profitability.
Fixed recoverable costs: Sacrificing justice for predictability?
The extended fixed recoverable costs regime is failing to achieve its stated objectives. Instead of promoting fairness and efficiency, the rules are creating anomalies that undermine justice.
Expectations keep rising, so prioritise client experience
Law firms are facing growing pressure to place greater focus on client experience or risk falling behind in an increasingly competitive legal market.
