Latest news
SRA plans centralised higher rights advocacy test
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is planning to introduce a centralised advocacy assessment for solicitors wanting higher rights of audience, including those practising in the youth court.
Leading PPI law firm goes under after lender calls in debt
A leading law firm specialising in payment protection insurance cases – one of which led to a landmark Supreme Court decision – has gone out of business.
Solicitor who lied to clients for four years struck off
A private client solicitor who lied to her clients over a period of almost four years at two different firms has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
LSB eyes public legal education initiatives
The Legal Service Board might develop targets for improving the “legal capability” of consumers and review the frontline regulators’ work on public legal education, in its first push in the area.
Barrister resigns from chambers over Twitter complaints
A barrister has resigned from Doughty Street Chambers after being accused of running a controversial Twitter account that harassed activists campaigning against antisemitism in the Labour Party.
Law firm consolidator makes first acquisition outside of PI
Law firm consolidator AWH Legal – which says it plans £100m worth of acquisitions in the next two years – has made its first purchase outside of personal injury.
Solicitor jailed for 14 months for contempt
A solicitor has been jailed for 14 months after being found guilty on four counts of contempt of court for breaching undertakings given to the court about missing client money.
Will-writing boss warns of battle with unregulated firms
The chief executive of leading online will-writer Farewill has warned that “there will definitely be conflict between regulated and unregulated providers” over the future of the industry.
High Court: Silence not golden in disciplinary tribunals
Disciplinary proceedings are not a “criminal/civil hybrid” and tribunals may draw adverse inferences from respondents staying silent, the High Court has made clear.
Legal Ombudsman pilots use of formal mediation
The Legal Ombudsman is running a ‘proof of concept’ pilot as it decides whether to introduce formal mediation as another route to settling dispute between lawyers and their clients.
Blog
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.
Linklaters’ chief growth officer takes the ‘blank sheet’ challenge
In the third and final part of this series, Lucy Murphy, chief growth officer at magic circle firm Linklaters, outlines her vision for the law firm of the future.
The ‘blank sheet’ challenge, part 2 – what would you do differently?
In the second part of this blog series, Shainul Kassam, managing director of small London firm Fortune Law, sets out how she would set up a law firm now.
