Practice Management
Exclusive: Mishcon de Reya drops B Corp status after just seven months
Mishcon de Reya has withdrawn from the B Corporation initiative – for businesses that balances purpose with profit – just months after becoming only the third law firm to achieve it.
Four-day week delivers for probate firm – but staff must work hard
Staff at a wills and probate business that attracted worldwide media coverage after introducing a four-day week are expected to work harder during their shorter working hours.
Court upholds non-compete clause for lawyer joining Weightmans
The High Court has upheld a 12-month non-compete clause imposed by a niche employment practice on a director joining national law firm Weightmans.
Aged debt and more write-offs – larger law firms count cost of Covid
The vast majority of larger UK law firms have been hit by delays in settling clients’ bills since the pandemic began, with 73% increasing billing write-offs, a report has found.
Green law firm pledges 10% of fees to environmental causes
A new specialist tree damage claims law firm will donate 10% of the fees on a matter to a carbon or biodiversity credit scheme so as to offset the carbon produced in handling it.
Leading firm ditches training contracts for apprenticeships
Commercial law firm Hill Dickinson is to scrap training contracts for would-be solicitors and replace them with a graduate solicitor apprenticeship programme.
SRA warns law firms over “wholly unreasonable workloads”
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has warned law firms that imposing “wholly unreasonable workloads or targets” on staff could result in disciplinary action.
Family law firm embraces employee ownership and plots big expansion
The founder of the latest firm to move to employee ownership said his decision was inspired by the co-operative movement as it aims to become the largest family law practice in the country.
Large firms failing to optimise social media in hot recruitment market
Large law firms are failing to make the best use of LinkedIn as a recruitment tool amid a hot market, with the top 100 firms often receiving no applicants as they fail to sell the roles effectively.
Diversity questions make up 20% of marks in panel tender
Clients are ratcheting up the pressure on law firms to improve their diversity, with applicants for the panel of the Pension Protection Fund the latest to have to prove their credentials.
Blog
Accountability has to live within governance, not with one person
The assumption has long been that a COLP or COFA is personally exposed to the consequences of anti-money laundering breaches.
The SRA’s client money reforms: good intentions, questionable execution
On the face of it, the SRA’s plans to tighten protections around client money sounds sensible. The detail, as ever, tells a more complicated story.
Recruitment, retention and reward in the legal accounts world
Understanding the legal finance market is important – not just for those actively involved in it day-to-day but also for leaders within law firms.
