Practice Management
SRA keeps SIF open in face of hardening insurance market
A hardening indemnity insurance market and pressure from the Law Society have persuaded the Solicitors Regulation Authority to keep the Solicitors Indemnity Fund open for a further year.
Top firms “need to get clients paying faster” to prepare for next crisis
The top 50 law firms had nearly £6bn of unpaid client invoices on their balance sheets last year and would be better prepared for another crisis like Covid if they reduced this, an analysis has argued.
Google’s Black Founders Fund backs UK lawtech start-up
A contract drafting and review business founded by former Freshfields associates is one of 30 companies to receive funding from the Google for Startups inaugural European Black Founders Fund.
Susskind: “Trainees will learn like astronauts – with virtual reality”
Trainee lawyers in future may do their legal training by using immersive virtual reality software simulating the practice environment, like astronauts preparing for space, Professor Richard Susskind has predicted.
Smaller firms lead the pack on website performance
Two of the smaller firms in the UK top 200 law firms are leading the way on website performance, new research has found. Stephensons and Lindsays ousted Pinsent Masons and DLA.
Swedish start-up brings one-stop business law advice shop to UK
A Swedish start-up which aims to provide a one-stop shop for the legal needs of small and medium-sized businesses launched in the UK this week.
Law firms faced major premium rises in spring PII renewal season
The spring renewal season saw law firms pay a lot more for their PII, with the surge in conveyancing work a concern and contentious probate an increasing problem.
Pandemic has “undermined cohesiveness” of firms, lawyers say
Nearly half of lawyers believe that working remotely during the pandemic has damaged the cohesiveness of their firms, a global study has found.
Slater & Gordon launches “revolutionary” digital legal services offering
Slater & Gordon has launched ‘miplatform’, what it says is a ‘first of its kind’ digital legal service that enables clients to progress their matters with little or no direct contact with a lawyer.
“Abusive” claim against lawyers in Jarndyce-style litigation struck out
A High Court judge has struck out a £58m unlawful means conspiracy claim against a law firm, four solicitors and a QC, which she described as “fatally flawed” and “abusive”.
Blog
The power of participation for trainees and apprentices
It’s important as a trainee or an apprentice to get involved in the life of your firm – even under the pressure of discovering how to navigate professional life and now the demands of the SQE.
Is it time to change how law firms view compliance?
Although COFAs often hold senior positions and play an essential role in a firm’s financial and regulatory integrity, the perception of the compliance function itself is still evolving.
From templates to culture change: Lessons from the SRA on source of funds
The SRA’s new thematic review into source of funds and wealth reveals both progress and persistent blind spots, with source-of-funds checks too often thought of as a procedural hurdle.
