Practice Management
Integration and cash flow problems brought down law firm consolidator
The administrators’ report into the collapse in June of the Law Direct group has highlighted how hard it is to build a law firm consolidator, as problems with integration led to cash flow difficulties.
Axiom Ince stops taking new instructions as break-up looms
The end appears nigh for Axiom Ince, with the law firm admitting that it has stopped taking new instructions and will “likely be unable to continue in its current format”.
Slater & Gordon secures £33m working capital facility
Slater & Gordon has struck a £33m funding deal with litigation funder Harbour to help build its personal injury and clinical negligence practices.
Workplace culture, not personal issues, “making women leave”
Workplace culture is the main reason that professional women leave their jobs and not personal issues such as the menopause or caring responsibilities, a study has concluded.
ICO reprimands law firm over data breach that saw money stolen
The Information Commissioner’s Office has reprimanded a law firm after a cyber-attack led to a data breach and four fraudulent payments being made on a probate matter.
Junior lawyers find it harder to concentrate on virtual training
Junior lawyers “find it harder to concentrate” during virtual training sessions than their more senior colleagues, while partners felt they were not getting enough time with juniors.
Three-quarters of law firms experience drop in demand
Three-quarters of law firms have experienced a drop in demand for legal services over the past 12 months and the same proportion expect the decline to go on for another year.
Tribunal makes protective awards to staff of defunct Newcastle firm
The employment tribunal has issued protective awards in favour of 13 former employees of Newcastle firm Short Richardson & Forth for failing to consult over their redundancies.
ABS platform now hosts five firms after latest acquisition
Law firm platform Bamboo has acquired Midlands-based Hawkins Hatton, making it the fifth practice operating through its umbrella alternative business structure.
Rising PII premium helped put paid to Liverpool claims firm
A number of adverse costs awards against Liverpool law firm High Street Solicitors pushed its insurance premiums up and contributed to its collapse, administrators have revealed.
Blog
Why law firms are getting AI supervision wrong
The profession’s response to AI supervision failures misunderstands the nature of LLM output – there needs to be for a shift in the culture.
Beyond the PII premium – rethinking risk
Professional indemnity insurance renewal is often treated as an annual pricing exercise. But it is also a chance to show how effectively you identify, manage and mitigate risk.
The AI governance gap in law firms and why it matters now
A third of law firms are already using AI tools with no formal policy in place to govern how AI gets used, what data goes into it, or who’s accountable when something goes wrong.
Reports
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