Latest news
“Unstuffy” ABS hits £7m turnover in less than five years
A Yorkshire alternative business structure founded in 2019 by a solicitor and non-lawyer has grown its turnover from £500,000 in year one to £7m as it expands its range of services.
In-house lawyers expecting more litigation over next three years
Many in-house lawyers expect to see more disputes over the next three years, with employment litigation likely to grow faster than any other type, according to new research.
Firms “asking staff to spend more days in the office”
More than a fifth of legal professionals across the UK have been asked by their employers to spend more time in the office, but few want to return to it full-time.
Law firm extends opening hours after staff move to four-day week
A Scottish law firm has extended its opening hours after most of its staff moved to working a four-day week, the latest to experiment with this new way of working.
New ICO certification for lawyers gives “certainty” on data processing
The Information Commissioner’s Office has approved a certification scheme which it says will provide law firms, chambers and others with “certainty” when processing personal data.
Housing legal aid providers “are all loss-making”
Housing legal aid is on the brink of collapse, the Law Society has claimed, with all of the providers it has spoken to making a loss.
PI partner turned family lawyer challenges “aggressive” divorce bills
A former personal injury specialist turned family lawyer has condemned “aggressive billing” in his new practice area and called for reforms to reduce costs.
KPMG Law chief: GenAI will reshape conversations about billing
Generative AI will move lawyers further away from hourly billing and into discussions with clients about the need for a commercial return on their investment in the technology.
Scotland edges closer to full-blooded ABSs
Reforms to the way legal services are regulated north of the border, including the introduction of alternative business structures with majority non-lawyer ownership, moved a step closer last week.
Show some “energy” to tackle ethics concerns, LSB chief tells regulators
The “lack of energy” from legal regulators to deal with what appears to be strategic failures of regulation is becoming “mildly ridiculous”, the chief executive of the LSB has argued.
Blog
Accountability has to live within governance, not with one person
The assumption has long been that a COLP or COFA is personally exposed to the consequences of anti-money laundering breaches.
The SRA’s client money reforms: good intentions, questionable execution
On the face of it, the SRA’s plans to tighten protections around client money sounds sensible. The detail, as ever, tells a more complicated story.
Recruitment, retention and reward in the legal accounts world
Understanding the legal finance market is important – not just for those actively involved in it day-to-day but also for leaders within law firms.
