Practice Management
Law firms “in denial” about their post-Covid finances
Law firms’ high level of confidence about the future – despite Covid-19 and Brexit – is at odds with a lax approach to finances and could indicate “an industry in denial”, new research has warned.
Firms worry about closing flagship offices post-Covid
Law firms worry that closing flagship offices in big cities as part of the shift to work from home will hit their market share and damage their local reputation, new research has found.
City giant throws weight behind domestic abuse helpline
City giant Hogan Lovells has endorsed the launch of a charity’s government-backed advice line to help employers support staff experiencing or at risk of domestic abuse.
Firm fined for secretly charging clients to repay loan
A law firm which surcharged more than 2,000 clients to help repay the loan it took out for a new case management system has been fined £30,000 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Metamorph leads way in autumn merger rush
Law firm consolidator Metamorph has unveiled its latest acquisition as one of a slew of mergers and acquisitions that has been announced. Insurance renewal season usually sees activity increase.
Firm’s accounts spoiled by joint venture ABS collapse
Lyons Davidson has had a good-looking year spoiled by the collapse of its joint venture with NAHL plc, meaning that it has posted a £2.8m loss for the last financial year.
Law firms must aim for “cultural equality”, says Post Office GC
Law firms and in-house teams have done “tremendous work” in improving their approach to diversity and inclusion and should now aim for “cultural equality”, a leading general counsel has said.
Law firms cheered by U-shaped recovery
Law firms have seen a U-shaped recovery – and in some work-types, V-shaped – “rather than a dreaded L-type situation where things stay down in the dumps for a long period of time”.
Law firm referral network weathers virus shock
West Midlands referral network Hub.Legal has reported that referrals of work from its 125 member firms have recovered to their pre-Covid level – but several are looking to merge.
Former partner faces £230,000 director’s loan account claim
A former equity partner in a two-partner North-East law firm faces a claim to repay his overdrawn director’s loan account of nearly £230,000 as the fall-out from its acrimonious split continues.
Blog
From ‘year zero’ to £6.5m – how a law firm found its second life
In 2018, I hit what I call ‘year zero’. On paper, Olliers Solicitors was a top-tier criminal defence firm but beneath the surface, I could see we were at a crossroads.
Linklaters’ chief growth officer takes the ‘blank sheet’ challenge
In the third and final part of this series, Lucy Murphy, chief growth officer at magic circle firm Linklaters, outlines her vision for the law firm of the future.
The ‘blank sheet’ challenge, part 2 – what would you do differently?
In the second part of this blog series, Shainul Kassam, managing director of small London firm Fortune Law, sets out how she would set up a law firm now.
