Market monitor

The “sustainable consolidation” of nearly 1,200 small criminal law firms could be driven by requiring them to have a minimum number of duty solicitors, the Law Society has proposed as its alternative to price competitive tendering.

A human resources (HR) outsourcing one-stop shop involving both lawyers and non-lawyers has been launched by City firm DAC Beachcroft, with plans to roll out the blueprint to other areas of legal services.

The Ministry of Justice today showed the first sign of cracking under the weight of pressure over its plans to reform criminal legal aid, with the Lord Chancellor ditching the plan to end client choice of solicitor.

A business that provides court agency and other outsourced services has become an alternative business structure (ABS) in order to meet the demand of its clients. Ashley Taylors in East Sussex is the first business of its type to become an ABS.

A firm of midlands-based financial advisers has received approval to set up an alternative business structure so as to extend its service to existing clients and drive revenue growth. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of listed independent financial advisory and wealth management firm AFH.

A former virtual law firm plans that has grown into a £2m business in four years has unveiled major expansion plans after being granted alternative business structure (ABS) status. “ABS is about thinking that there are no limits,” said its founder.

A QualitySolicitors law firm with ambitions to become a one-stop shop for a range of professional services is among new alternative business structures (ABSs) whose licenses become active next month.

A free online ‘community resource’ that enables direct access barristers to tender for clients’ work has been launched by the head of a London chambers. CallMyBarrister.com goes live today with a “unique tendering model” that its founder compared to that of a dating website.

Many small firms are better placed than they realise to thrive in the legal market, according to the solicitor who created the largest law firm network in the country. Greg Shields also hit out at the “monetisation of fear”, with “people selling a message that’s built on the negativity of fear”.

A northern commercial law firm aims to take on ‘big brand’ new entrants to the legal market with its own portal offering businesses legal and non-legal services. Butterworths Solicitors has launched fixed-price products through its Go! brand for SME clients.

An interpreter company is set to appoint a huge panel of hundreds of law firms for a new Community Legal Helpline. Yorkshire-based translation firm Applied eXperts Ltd said it is responding to a rise in legal queries from non-English speaking individuals.

QualitySolicitors is set to unveil a “new approach to delivering legal services”, Legal Futures can reveal. It comes as the company’s deal with WH Smith winds down and founder Craig Holt becomes president to focus on research and development.

The legal sector is “ripe” for investment and capital should not be an issue with so many investors looking to buy into the profession, lawyers in the north-west were told this week. They were urged to “seize the opportunity” to establish what their clients wanted.

Manchester-headquartered alternative business structure Horwich Farrelly has headed south to launch an office in the City of London. The specialist insurance litigation law firm estimates that the new office will generate up to £2m of income in its first year.

The cost to businesses seeking legal advice to comply with current piecemeal consumer rights legislation is as high as £2,500 a year – but they should see big savings as a result of forthcoming reform, the government has claimed.