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The SRA’s first ABS – still going strong, 10 years on
Tomorrow marks the 10th anniversary of the first alternative business structure licensed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and the firm is still going strong.
Chambers gives returning parents a 12-month payment holiday
A London chambers has decided to give barristers returning from parental leave a year’s holiday from making any payments in terms of rent or other contributions and expenses.
Legal Ombudsman budget to top £15m after 5.8% increase approval
The Legal Services Board has approved a 5.8% increase in the budget of the Legal Ombudsman for the coming year, amounting to an extra £850,000 cost levied on the profession.
City firms urged to agree common approach to social mobility
City law firms need get on with agreeing a common approach to measure social mobility in their recruitment processes, a roundtable has heard from a former MP and solicitor.
Lockdown conveyancing redundancy was genuine, tribunal rules
A redundancy exercise run by a law firm in its conveyancing department following the first lockdown in 2020 was genuine, an employment tribunal has ruled in dismissing an unfair dismissal claim.
White knight or asset stripper? Knights’ model under scrutiny
A leading law firm consultant has questioned the sustainability of consolidator Knights’ model after its share price collapsed by 60% in the past two days.
Purpose over profit: Profession needs “fundamental” cultural reset
The pandemic has not brought about necessary cultural change in the legal profession, meaning lawyers and their firms need to fundamentally reset their values.
Partner celebrated “huge victory” by accidentally breaking CA embargo
A partner who celebrated a “huge jurisdictional victory” with a WhatsApp message which broke a Court of Appeal embargo has apologised to the court.
Judge terminates appointment of guardian who criticised solicitor
A circuit judge has terminated the appointment of the guardian of a young child in care proceedings after he criticised the father’s solicitor in a letter to the law firm’s head of department.
SRA to reintroduce annual process and fee to stay on roll
Non-practising solicitors will have to apply to the Solicitors Regulation Authority every year once again and pay an annual charge of £30-£40 if they want to stay on the roll from April 2023.
Blog
Regulate sole practices on evidence, not turnover
For a sole practice, the SRA’s plan that I cannot hold a compliance role if my firm has more than £600,000 of turnover is not a measure of risk. It is a ceiling on growth.
Is Google becoming pay-to-play for law firms?
For years, law firms have been told that SEO is the long-term alternative to paying for every click. That principle hasn’t disappeared but search results have changed significantly.
Material information and the case for intelligent client onboarding
Upfront information means work traditionally undertaken after an offer is accepted will need to happen earlier. And that fundamentally changes the role of client onboarding.
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