Latest news
City lobbying group: Maintaining UK’s leadership in global legal market should be Brexit priority
Major law firms should partner with the government “to ramp up efforts to export UK legal and regulatory standards to emerging markets” as a way to boost trade and investment post-Brexit, leading lobbying group TheCityUK said today.
Gateley “seeing the benefits” of being UK’s first listed law firm
Gateley is seeing the benefits of being the first UK-listed law firm, its chairman said today as it announced record turnover. Revenue increased 10.2% to £67.1m in the year to 30 April 2016, with profit before tax up 12.2% to £11m. As a result shareholders are to see a final dividend of 3.764p.
Vara leaves Ministry of Justice as law officer ‘helps out’ in upper house
Shailesh Vara has left government, leaving the Ministry of Justice with three junior ministers – down from six before the reshuffle. Downing Street announced today that law officer Lord Keen of Elie QC will speak on MoJ business in the Lords. Former Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer also today attacked the appointment of Liz Truss.
Use of fixed fees continues to rise but consumers still struggling to choose lawyer, survey finds
Nearly half of consumer legal services are provided on a fixed-fee basis, new research has found – but it said consumers are still being hampered by a lack of information to help them choose the right lawyer, leading to “lower levels of satisfaction and trust in legal services”.
Court of Appeal overturns solicitor’s convictions for money laundering
A solicitor’s convictions for money laundering have been overturned by the Court of Appeal in a case involving corrupt payments linked to a multi-million dollar UN medical aid contract for the Democratic Republic of Congo. He was convicted despite the judge finding him unfit to be cross-examined.
Tribunal allows paralegal’s discrimination claim against law firm to continue
A paralegal’s claim of disability discrimination after he was sacked by a law firm was wrongly struck out, the Employment Appeal Tribunal has ruled. However, HHJ David Richardson said that Leicester firm Bond Adams had a strong case.
Exclusive: Horizontal integration in action as funeral director sets up ABS
A family-run firm of funeral directors with 36 branches has become the first of its kind to set up an alternative business structure. Lodge Brothers Legal Services, launched last week, offers fixed-fee services for clients wanting wills, probate and powers of attorney.
Former Solicitor-General among new ministers appointed to MoJ
The team under new Lord Chancellor Liz Truss at the Ministry of Justice took shape over the weekend with a clean slate of new ministers appointed. Sir Oliver Heald QC, who was Solicitor-General between 2012 and 2014, was named minister of state. He practised at the Bar for 20 years before being elected in 1992.
Public “more worried” about confidentiality breaches than solicitors
The public view information security failings at law firms more seriously than solicitors do, according to the “most surprising” outcome of the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s Question of Trust exercise. A “significant” number of lawyers said a balance needed to be struck between client confidentiality and taking files out of the office to work on.
Law Society and CLC clash on switching regulators
The Law Society and Council for Licensed Conveyancers have clashed plans by the Solicitors Regulation Authority to make it easier for law firms to switch regulator. The society warned that clients could be left without proper cover.
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.
