Legal Services Act
SRA and CLC given clean bill of regulatory health
The Solicitors Regulation Authority and Council for Licensed Conveyancers have been given a clean bill of health by the Legal Services Board in its latest assessment of regulators’ performance.
Expert group lists worries about impact of whiplash reforms
A group of claimant and defendant representatives and judges has outlined a range of concerns about next year’s whiplash reforms, including claims management companies exploiting injured people.
Teaching law firm “busier than ever” with pandemic caseload
The head of the first ‘teaching law firm’, Nottingham Law School’s Legal Advice Centre, has said it is “busier than ever” helping clients, many of whose problems are related to the pandemic.
CMA urges review of legal services regulation
The case for wholesale reform of the way legal services are regulated is even stronger than it was four years ago when the Competition & Markets Authority last recommended it, the watchdog said today.
NAHL and Frenkel Topping takeover talks to stretch into New Year
Talks about a reverse takeover of NAHL Group – the owner of National Accident Helpline – by fellow listed company Frenkel Topping are to continue into the New Year, they announced today.
Consumers willing to work with wills and probate solicitors online
More than a third of consumers believe that video witnessing of wills is “a good alternative” to being there in person, according to a major study, while a majority are happy to have an online consultation.
Mishcon’s brand management spin-off leads latest deals news
A brand management company owned by London law firm Mishcon de Reya has acquired a Philippines-based business to boost its Asian presence, among various deals struck recently in the legal market.
LSB eyes legal expenses insurance expansion and “approved” products
The LSB has sketched out a future where most households have a legal expenses insurance policy to access a wide range of legal services, and there are approved ‘simple legal products’ in the market.
Law firm leaders expecting market consolidation in 2021
There are “high expectations” among law firm leaders of consolidation in the legal services market during 2021 and beyond, research has found – although there is often little strategy behind deals.
Report highlights post-lockdown recovery in family and private client work
Demand for family and private client services recovered in the second quarter of this year as the impact of the first national lockdown began to take effect, research has found.
Alternative legal providers “impressing clients” with technology
Alternative legal services providers “lag behind the leading law firms by quite a margin” in Europe, but their use of technology is “impressing clients”, a report has found.
3,000 law firms “could be forced to close or merge”
As many as 3,000 law firms could be forced to close or merge over the next few years after the conveyancing bubble bursts and the recession really kicks in, a leading law firm consultant has warned.
In-house solicitor brings libel claim over accusatory press release
A senior solicitor at the Environment Agency is suing a director of a garden centre business for libel and harassment after he successfully prosecuted the man for waste offences.
Inward investment consultancy becomes ABS after “exponential growth”
A professional services consultancy specialising in advice to foreign businesses wanting to set up in the UK has become an alternative business structure after “exponential growth” in 2020.
Lottery funding helps law firm launch free Covid fines app
A not-for-profit criminal law firm has launched a free web app aimed at people who have been issued fines for breaching the Coronavirus Regulations.
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.
