Legal Services Act

The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) is to launch a complaints portal this month that will enable lawyers to manage all of their contact with the organisation online. LeO will also encourage consumers to manage their complaint through the portal.

Top-20 firm Kingston Smith has become the first accountancy firm to be licensed as an alternative business structure by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales to carry out probate work.

Hampshire law firm Moore Blatch has teamed up with national spinal injury charity Aspire to launch the first alternative business structure of its kind. Aspire Law will open for business on 3 November, offering a specialist service to people with spinal cord injuries.

KPMG has become the second member of the ‘Big Four’ accountants to be awarded an alternative business structure licence. However, unlike PwC, KPMG said it has no intention of developing a standalone legal practice.

Mergers have been announced across the country in recent days, with firms of all sizes and practice areas choosing to join forces. There is usually a rush of mergers each year timed to coincide with the 30 September deadline to secure professional indemnity insurance.

Stuart Gillespie, founder of recruitment company G2 Legal, has set up a commercial law alternative business structure with his in-house solicitor, Lucy Tarrant. They are partners in Cognitive Law LLP.

Legal entrepreneur Brad Askew has relaunched a property website for landlords, which attracts up to 600,000 unique visits a year. The Tenancy Agreement Service is aimed particularly at the 78% of Britain’s 3.5m private landlords who only let one property.

Quindell plc told investors today that it cannot explain the latest slide in its volatile share price. The alternative business structure closed at 136.5p on Friday, down nearly 10% on the day and 35% since announcing its first-half results on 21 August.

Cherie Blair QC is to throw herself into her work with her alternative business structure (ABS) Omnia Strategy after leaving Matrix Chambers, which she co-founded 14 years ago.

Two north-west alternative business structures (ABSs) have announced record results, while Slater & Gordon’s next potential acquisition, and first in Wales, has emerged.