Legal Services Act

NewLaw Solicitors is eyeing up another three alternative business structure joint ventures, its publicly listed owner revealed yesterday. NewLaw – itself only the fourth ABS licensed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority – already has four joint venture ABSs

Unnecessary restrictions on in-house lawyers could “impose costs and red tape, frustrate innovation and adversely affect access to justice”, the Legal Services Board has argued.

The profession’s regulators are not doing enough to understand the consumers of lawyers’ services, the Legal Services Board has warned. But it said there has been progress since the first assessment in 2012/13.

An international lawyer is bringing new meaning to the idea of a multi-disciplinary practice after launching a business in London that combines legal advice for DIY divorce clients with anti-ageing serums and sex therapy.

Delegates at the Global Law Summit have questioned why a major report on the health of the legal services industry included so little on new entrants to the market, smaller firms and diversity.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to remain on report over its performance in licensing alternative business structures until it outlines how it will stop making “disproportionate” requests for information from applicants, it has emerged.

Alternative business structure Quindell plc indicated today that progress is being made on Slater & Gordon’s acquisition of its legal arm. The AIM-listed company’s shares jumped by 40% in early trading as a result.

Lawyers are increasingly using threats of libel action to intimidate clients into taking down negative reviews from comparison websites, it was claimed yesterday by a member of the Legal Services Consumer Panel.

Liverpool-based 7 Harrington Street Chambers has launched what is believed to be the first alternative business structure attached to a barristers’ chambers. It opened for business last week, with three barristers and 7HS practice director as its directors.

Morgan Stanley has dumped Quindell stock just four days after becoming the alternative business structure’s second largest shareholder, it has emerged. Quindell’s shares jumped on Monday after announcing that it had taken a 5.03% stake.

The Legal Ombudsman has received just under 1,000 consumer ‘contacts’ about claims management companies in its first three weeks of complaints handling, it has emerged.

National Accident Helpline has today unveiled its move into the conveyancing market by spending £4.3m to buy a lead generation business specialising in the sector that owns the website of failed alternative business structure In-Deed.

Regulators need to do more with the diversity data they now collect in order to drive improvements in recruitment and particularly progression and retention within the profession, the Legal Services Board will shortly say.

The growth capital fund which became the first external investor in a high street law firm last week has said it will consider investing in other legal practices.

The TV advertising battle between legal brands stepped up this week with Slater & Gordon launching a new campaign with the message ‘Your case is our cause’. Meanwhile, the share price of Quindell plc, part of which S&G is in talks to buy, continues to fluctuate.