Market monitor

Four law firms have so far signed up to a groundbreaking consortium marketing for litigation work that also involves block-rated ‘day one’ after-the-event insurance for commercial work.

Four leading legal charities have urged the government to delay next year’s whiplash reforms over fears that litigants in person and the organisations supporting them will be overwhelmed by the new regime.

Registered European lawyers will have a grace period until the end of next year to sort out how they will continue to practise in the UK, even if there is a no-deal Brexit, the government said last week.

Shares in Anexo Group, the AIM-listed business that owns Liverpool law firm Bond Turner, reached a new high yesterday after announcing that it expected profits to exceed market expectations.

Slater & Gordon – the first law firm owned by a hedge fund – made a small profit in its first year of independence from its one-time Australian parent, it revealed yesterday.

The Law Society is warning that turnover from legal services would slump by £3.5bn in the event of a no-deal Brexit. It was particularly concerned about the fate of future UK lawyers.

The civil servant overseeing the Civil Liability Act reforms yesterday declared his confidence that the 6 April 2020 target for implementation would be met. But he stressed that “ministers will not rush this”.

DWF, the world’s largest listed law firm, revealed that going public cost the business £12.6m while also slowing down its acquisition activity. Revenue for the year to 30 April grew 15% to £272m.

The High Court has rejected a libel claim by a woman who an in-house lawyer suggested in an email to a court official had potentially acted fraudulently.

Listed law firm Gateley has made good on its intention to increase the non-legal services it offers by buying a leading land referencing consultancy.