Market monitor

RBG Holdings, the listed business that owns City law firm Rosenblatt, has more than doubled in size after announcing the £30m acquisition of London practice Memery Crystal.

Citizens Advice gave one-to-one advice to two million people during the year of the pandemic, the “vast majority” of them remotely, the service has said.

More than 700 individuals and businesses have agreed to use a standard non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for use when beginning negotiations over corporate transactions.

The major City law firms are on notice that their big hitters want a permanent post-Covid change in work patterns or some will look to leave, new research has found.

An app linking consumers to lawyers who provide free video consultations has been launched this week after three months of testing with 20 law firms – more than 160 firms have now signed up.

A solicitor fired after refusing a demand to vary her contract so her firm could furlough her or reduce her wages to help it cope with the impact of Covid has won a claim for unfair dismissal.

Simplify, the private equity-owned group that leads the conveyancing market, is now one of the largest legal businesses in the country with a turnover of £139m last year, its accounts have shown.

A representative action has been launched against IP law firm Marks & Clerk alleging that it “grossly overcharged” thousands of SMEs through a “secret commissions scheme” with CPA Global.

National consumer giant Irwin Mitchell is planning a stock market float valuing the law firm at £500m, according to press reports at the weekend. It could happen this year, said Sky News.

Revenue and profits at Co-operative Legal Services fell as a result of coronavirus but case volumes grew during last year, its annual results have shown.

A former major in Army Legal Services has described how taking a “military approach” has helped him when launching his law firm this week.

Most law firms are “complacent” about sharing technology with clients, according to the partner who leads Shoosmiths new division offering a range of legal and non-legal products.

Fast-growing consumer law firm Taylor Rose MW is eyeing up further acquisitions and office openings over the coming year after receiving investment totalling nearly £5m.

Some people have been “unable to access legal advice at all during the pandemic” to enforce their rights, peers have found, with the number of lawyers doing legal aid work at risk of falling.

The prime minister, the Lord Chancellor and the heads of the Bar Council and Law Society have condemned the Chinese government for imposing sanctions on two QCs and a London barristers’ chambers.