Property
PE-backed conveyancing giants shying away from acquisitions
The bosses of two of the UK’s largest conveyancing firms, both backed by private equity, said yesterday that growth by acquisition was not high on their agendas.
Law firms flock to support National Conveyancing Week
Some 67 law firms have so far pledged their support for the first ever National Conveyancing Week in March, an initiative which aims to boost the profile and understanding of conveyancing.
Law firm did not breach contract by releasing off-plan deposits
A law firm which released nearly £1.3m in deposits for off-plan flats in a failed development in Liverpool did not breach its contract with the buyers, appeal judges have ruled.
Framework creates “common language” for property transactions
A set of tech tools designed to create a “common language” for property transactions has been launched by the Home Buying and Selling Group. It is being trialled by 10 law firms.
Leasehold extension specialist with “social aim” launches ABS
A business specialising in leasehold extensions has set up an alternative business structure to provide clients with a “one-stop shop” covering valuation, project management and legal advice.
Estate agents boss tells conveyancers to charge more
Conveyancers should charge more – or not pay referral fees – so they can reduce their workload and improve transaction times, the head of an estate agents body has argued.
Solicitor’s “blind spot” led to vulnerable client being defrauded
A very experienced solicitor who showed a “complete blind spot” with regard to his obligations to ‘know your client’ and recognise the risks of conveyancing fraud has been suspended for a year.
Regulator tells conveyancers to prepare for sharp work downturn
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers has issued a stark warning to the law firms it regulates to “stress test their businesses for resilience” to a fall of up to 40% in work volumes.
Tribunal clears conveyancer over allegations of AML dishonesty
A solicitor accused of not having a firm-wide anti-money laundering risk assessment in place and lying about it to the SRA, has been cleared by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
CLC “making greater use of range of enforcement powers”
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers is making greater use of the range of its enforcement powers, rather than going straight to full disciplinary action, its chief executive has said.
Blog
Is competition in the legal sector stifling innovation?
As the legal sector’s competitive landscape continues to evolve, Nobel laureates remind us that innovation is not inevitable,and that competition may not always be an incentive to innovate.
What high-performing consumer claims firms get right
Recurring concerns about parts of the volume claims sector show that the gap between well-run firms and those struggling to manage volume effectively is widening.
The SRA’s 2025 AML report: What law firms need to know
The SRA has released its 2024-25 anti-money laundering report and the scale of supervision is striking – it carried out 935 proactive engagements in the year to 5 April 2025.
