Technology
‘DIY law’ entrepreneur relaunches landlord website
Legal entrepreneur Brad Askew has relaunched a property website for landlords, which attracts up to 600,000 unique visits a year. The Tenancy Agreement Service is aimed particularly at the 78% of Britain’s 3.5m private landlords who only let one property.
Fine for paralegal who moved firms and took sensitive data with him
A paralegal who took sensitive information from his employer when moving to a rival law firm was convicted of a criminal offence under the Data Protection Act this week.
Information Commissioner sounds alarm over lawyers’ handling of personal data
The Information Commissioner’s Office has issued a warning to solicitors and barristers over the need to keep personal information secure, especially paper files, in the wake of “a number of data breaches” in recent months.
Solicitor turns to crowdfunding to back online contracts business
A young solicitor entrepreneur is seeking crowdfunding for an online documents business that will offer instant contracts via a mobile app and alert customers by e-mail to relevant law changes.
Law Society signs joint venture deal to create conveyancing portal
The Law Society has teamed up with software company Mastek UK Limited to deliver its conveyancing portal, which aims to speed up the home-buying process. The pair have set up a joint venture company called Legal Practice Technologies Ltd.
Law Society targets anti-solicitor websites as it turns up heat over Wonga's fake firms
The Law Society is planning to use the European Court of Justice’s ruling on the right to be forgotten online to challenge anti-solicitor websites. The news comes as the society said it was to write to the FCA, SRA and police over Wonga’s use of bogus law firms.
Pinsents “an example to other big firms” on Twitter use, report says
Pinsent Masons is an example to other law firms on how to make the most of a Twitter account, while the ‘private’ setting on Slaughter and May’s account makes it the firm not to emulate, according to a report on the use of social media by large City law firms.
Bott & Co lining up “series of niches” to follow aviation success
Flight compensation specialist Bott & Co is lining up a “series of similar niches” in the consumer world to capitalise on its successes with aviation, with a focus on IT, processes and client care.
Retailer turned law firm chairman: pricing demands pushing change
Leading retailer Greg Tufnell, new non-executive chairman of innovative legal practice Radiant Law, has told Legal Futures that changed expectations among clients over pricing is one of the key elements driving disruption in the legal market.
Google: two million legal searches made every day in UK
Two million online searches on legal subjects are made every day in the UK, according to a senior Google executive, who went on to advise lawyers that their future clients would increasingly be reached through video and mobile technology.
Blog
It’s time for law firms to ask tougher questions
For years, many law firms have treated ID verification as a box-ticking exercise. Run a liveness check, match a face to a document and move on. But that is no longer good enough.
Business fatigue to AI will risk job security
Whilst we know professional learning has always been part of career paths, to hire, retain and keep talent, AI needs to be embedded as a core part of this training.
On good authority? GenAI and the reputational risks to law firms
As GenAI’s influence grows, so do the risks which are already playing out in courtrooms across England and Wales, where some early adopters are setting precedents they would rather not.
