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The Legal Ombudsman has pledged to avoid pursuing an “expansionist” strategy when considering expanding its jurisdiction, but nevertheless welcomed the Competition and Markets Authority’s suggestion that it could handle complaints against unregulated legal providers.

The Prisons and Courts Bill was today dropped ahead of the dissolution of Parliament as MPs prepare for June’s general election. The bill was set for the latest session in its committee stage this morning, but the debate did not happen after the government put forward a motion not to proceed with further consideration of the bill.

‘Professional’ paid McKenzie Friends associated with fathers’ rights groups play on their “uncertainty and sense of victimhood” to attract business, academic research has found, saying that there needed to be a code of conduct and a greater role for law school clinics in their place.

The Legal Services Board has said it expects frontline regulators to introduce compulsory “minimum disclosures” by law firms on price and service. The LSB was responding to the Competition and Market Authority market study of legal services.

New anti-money laundering regulations planned by the Treasury would impose “disproportionate and unnecessary” burdens on law firms, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has warned. It was particularly unhappy about a ‘criminality test’ for lawyers.

Insurance companies have referred 26 law firms to the Solicitors Regulation Authority in recent months through a new process that aims to “better facilitate exchange of information” between the regulator and the Insurance Fraud Bureau, it has emerged.

The failures which led to a record fine for Clyde & Co were “particularly glaring” as it was “a large and, previously, reputable firm”, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has declared in approving the sanction. It emerged earlier this month that the City practice had been fined £50,000 but the full ruling has only just been published.

A chartered legal executive has launched a start-up alternative business structure specialising in personal injury but with ambitious plans for expansion into a variety of legal areas, including sports law.

Today’s decision to call a general election could give claimant personal injury lawyers breathing space in their fight against the government’s reforms, as ministers now have just a fortnight to ram the Prisons and Courts Bill through Parliament or the legislation will be lost.

A local authority in Surrey is eyeing up an alternative business structure so it can “commercialise” its legal services in the wake of a partnership with another council coming to an end. Our latest ABS round-up also includes a virtual firm looking for investment to expand, a major deal for a leading probate ABS and a heavyweight appointment.