Market monitor
Seven advice services to benefit from foundation grants
Seven legal advice services have received support in the latest round of grants from the Access to Justice Foundation, which has been boosted by a major pledge from a well-known London law firm.
Big law firms “under-pricing” work
Large law firms are damaging their profitability by poor scoping of work and under-pricing it, and are also set to penalise lawyers who offer clients overly large discounts, a survey has found.
Top criminal law firm leads merger rush
Merger activity among law firms continues apace, with deals done across the country – including a leading criminal legal aid practice that has completed two in rapid succession and is on the hunt for more.
Exclusive: Profits rocket at ABS where accountants supply clients
An alternative business structure owned equally by two law firms and an accountancy practice has recorded a 1,200% surge in post-tax profits.
DC lawyers bid to lead the way with ABSs
Lawyers in the US capital Washington DC are the latest in America to try and remove the ban on ABSs, while the president of the American Bar Association is backing efforts to rethink regulation.
NAHL shares crash amid personal injury market uncertainty
Shares in NAHL plc – owner of National Accident Helpline – crashed today after it said uncertainty in the personal injury market would significantly affect its performance in 2020.
Three deals in three months – Knights strikes again
Knights has unveiled its second acquisition this year – and seventh in little over 18 months as a listed company – with a £2.8m deal to buy a housing industry law firm in Manchester.
Ministers “discussing” viability of April whiplash reform launch
Ministers remain committed to whiplash reform but are considering whether the new portal can actually go live on 6 April, a senior Ministry of Justice official admitted yesterday.
“Single source of property truth” to be piloted within weeks
The Buying and Selling Property Information – the “single source of truth” that contains all the information about a property before it goes on the market – is set to be piloted in the coming weeks.
Whiplash portal nearing completion – if draft rules don’t change
Any significant change to the expected rules governing the new personal injury portal will make its introduction in April unlikely, the man charged with building the system has warned.
Blog
Modern search is about ‘knowledge’ retrieval
Search has long been understood as data retrieval – the ability to call back information and check a box on finding something. Legal professionals today need more of a 360-degree view on a matter.
Lessons from Sir Keir Starmer for SRA chief
The proposed 29%, or £25m, increase in the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s budget announced last week should really come as no great surprise.
The hidden risks in client account reconciliations
The client account reconciliation process will be second nature to most people in legal finance – and so is also a potential area for a problem to be undetected until it becomes serious.
