Practice Management

A claims management company in Manchester has become the latest to be slapped down by the Advertising Standards Authority after failing to make clear to potential customers that the amount of money they could receive was before its 33% fee was deducted.

The body representing chartered legal executives has called on the profession to end discrimination against lawyers who have qualified through non-university routes and open up the senior judiciary to those entered the law by alternative means.

A law firm and solicitor found to have sexually discriminated against a student who worked there for six weeks have lost their appeal against the £14,000 award for injury to feelings. In her interview, the solicitor “jokingly” asked her to marry him, and commented on her figure.

Civil, property and employment matters are the most-searched for areas of practice on the Bar Council’s Direct Access Portal, figures released yesterday showed – with EU law fourth on the list as people and businesses try to come to terms with Brexit.

Chambers are seeing more grievances over discriminatory treatment by both employees and members, according to solicitors who advise them on dealing with their equality and diversity obligations. They said diversity presents a “particular challenge to chambers largely as a result of their unique business structure.

Global firm Dentons has made its play to be a key adviser to companies on the impact of Brexit by developing a cognitive search engine tool that can be used for Brexit-related contract reviews. It is also working on a software application that automatically creates a ‘Brexit action plan’ for clients.

The Employment Appeal Tribunal has dismissed an appeal against a decision that a top-100 regional law firm was not guilty of age discrimination against one of its partners, after he was not offered a new partnership when it restructured.

Lord Justice Briggs published his final report on the structure of the civil courts and retained his strong support for the creation of an online court for claims worth up to £25,000, although he has shifted position to say that parties should be able to recover a limited amount of legal costs.

Several well-known law firms have signed up to Oratto, the latest ‘find a lawyer’ website to hit the market, including Manchester firms JMW, Berg and Pannone Corporate, Liverpool’s Jackson Canter, Sheffield-based Simpson Sissons & Brooke, and Peterborough-based Buckles.

The Legal Services Consumer Panel said last week that it was “not blind to the challenges of increased price transparency”, but insisted that making lawyers publish “average” prices could be the catalyst for making consumers ask more questions about cost.