Latest news
Lady Hale: Courts should learn from tribunals on diversity
Lady Hale, president of the Supreme Court, has called on the courts to learn lessons from the tribunal service in improving the diversity of judges.
Law degrees unnecessarily homogenous, research finds
Law schools are not taking advantage of the “enormous regulatory freedom” they have and instead are largely all offering the same kind of law degree, new research has found.
Niche ABS takes on external funding and non-lawyers
A niche alternative business structure working with companies that build the global infrastructure of technology has used it to take on external funding and non-lawyers who can help the business grow.
Firm fights off age discrimination claim over birthday wishes
A legal secretary who claimed she felt humiliated and insulted by a colleague commenting on her 50th birthday has lost her claim for harassment and age discrimination against the law firm.
Boutique firm for funders combines legal and political advice
A boutique law firm catering only for “sophisticated” capital funders is offering what is believed to be the first combined legal, commercial and political advisory service.
Chambers should “be generous” on parental leave
Chambers should give barristers the right to return to work after two or three years of parental leave, the Western Circuit Women’s Forum has said.
Consumers must know more about the law and lawyers
Most people know very little about how the law works in the UK, research has found, with 44% admitting that they did not know the difference between a solicitor, lawyer or barrister.
Top insurer accuses solicitors of breaching referral fee ban
Claimant personal injury solicitors are buying leads obtained illegally and in breach of the referral fee ban, a leading insurance company has claimed. Aviva said solicitors should have to declare their source.
Communications giant hands over ABS to listed law firm
Communications giant BT has handed over ownership of its alternative business structure to listed law firm DWF, it has emerged. Meanwhile, an Italian law firm has set up a BSB-regulated ABS.
Solicitor transferred property without asking co-owner
A solicitor who transferred the title of a property from a joint owner without checking whether they had agreed to it – and when they knew nothing about it – has been rebuked by the SRA.
Blog
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.
From ‘year zero’ to £6.5m – how a law firm found its second life
In 2018, I hit what I call ‘year zero’. On paper, Olliers Solicitors was a top-tier criminal defence firm but beneath the surface, I could see we were at a crossroads.
