Legal Services Act
Ince Group values brand at £17m as turnover soars
Listed law firm Ince Group has had its brand valued at £17m, it announced yesterday as it unveiled turnover up 87% to £98.5m, reflecting the full impact of the acquisition of Ince & Co.
MPs fear firms, chambers and law centres collapsing
MPs have expressed concern that law firms, chambers and law centres may collapse because of the impact of Covid-19, and that lawyers from BAME and state-school backgrounds will be badly hit.
Unregulated firms should have access to regulatory sandboxes
Legal regulators should allow unregulated firms to test their ideas in regulatory sandboxes set up to foster innovation, the Legal Services Consumer Panel has said.
TV personalities withdraw libel claim against barrister
TV personalities Rachel Riley and Tracy-Ann Oberman have withdrawn their defamation claim against a London barrister who retweeted an article about them.
Delays spiral and case closures plummet at LeO
The Legal Ombudsman is taking five months just to pass any new complaints to an investigator as it struggles to cope with the impact of Covid-19.
Solicitors bullish about future but doubtful about clients’ prospects
Solicitors are generally bullish about the future, despite nearly one in four believing Covid-19 will harm their clients’ prospects and many predicting lower demand for legal services.
Now MP targets Herbert Smith over Post Office work
An MP has urged select committees to investigate the role of law firms – and in particular Herbert Smith Freehills – in helping client companies accused of wrongdoing set up compensation schemes.
Circuit poll: Barristers set to quit if court hours are extended
Some 55% barristers would consider leaving the Bar if the courts adopt extended operating hours and they could set back female barristers’ progress by 50 years, research has found.
“Sharing the wealth” – Firm donates all profits to charity
Corporate law firm Aria Grace Law has pledged to give all of its profits to charity and other good causes forever as part of a commitment to “share the wealth between clients, lawyers and society”.
“Our goodwill has run dry” – hundreds to refuse out-of-hours hearings
Hundreds of crime lawyers have issued public refusals to attend hearings in evenings or at weekends as new figures show that backlogs in courts and tribunals were growing even before the coronavirus.
Blog
Why this is the year for law firms to embrace generative AI
After more than a year of pilots, proofs of value and early experimentation, firms are increasingly embedding AI into day-to-day workflows.
Client account interest is not spare change
The proposed Interest on Lawyers’ Client Accounts scheme is being framed as a sensible, international, “tried and tested” way for the profession to help fund a justice system under strain.
The formula for finance-enabled business development
Client concentration or over-dependence now counts as a top strategic risk for 26% of firms. Cross-selling is an antidote – a way to bolster revenue resilience without relying on client acquisition.
