Legal Services Act

Admiral Group’s long-awaited legal services strategy was unveiled on Friday after it announced separate joint venture alternative business structures (ABSs) with national firm Lyons Davidson and Cardiff-based Cordner Lewis.

Nearly a fifth of not-for-profit legal advice centres are planning to charge for services as a strategy to survive cuts in legal aid, a study into the impact of the reforms has revealed. But the study found widespread fear of redundancy across the sector.

A newly licensed alternative business structure is going on the offensive after completing a three-year restructuring plan. Tees Solicitors now plans to take on new entrants to the legal services market by moving into their sectors and attracting external investment.

Antony Hodari has cut its ties with claims intermediaries and will now become self-sufficient in generating its caseload, becoming the first major personal injury law firm to announce its post-referral fee ban strategy.

NewLaw Solicitors – which yesterday formally announced an alternative business structure (ABS) with insurance giant Ageas to handle policyholders’ personal injury claims – looks set to unveil a second partnership.

The Legal Services Board (LSB) has hit back at its critics, accusing frontline legal regulators of being “uncomfortable” with the language of competition and failing to examine the impact of regulation on the market.

Alternative business structure Quindell Portfolio plc has started to announce the major contract wins its end-to-end personal injury service has delivered, with a deal with RAC worth potentially £500m a year first to become public.

One of the country’s largest insurance companies yesterday received its alternative business structure licence and has struck a deal with a Cardiff personal injury firm to provide legal services to customers making non-fault claims.

The Legal Services Board has criticised the Solicitors Regulation Authority for restricting liberalisation of the rule that previously prevented local authorities from charging charities and voluntary organisations for legal services.

Barristers can now speak to the press about their cases, after the Bar’s Code of Conduct was changed. The end to the rule prohibiting barristers from expressing personal opinion publicly in relation to their work finally brings them in line with solicitor-advocates.

The Legal Services Board has criticised the Bar Standards Board’s failure to apply the cab-rank rule to public access work and said this omission will reduce the impact of rule changes that widen the scope for barristers dealing directly with clients.

Barristers’ bid to persuade consumers to come direct to them for legal advice has stepped up with a new direct access service claiming that more than half of Britons think solicitors overcharge. Absolute Barrister claims to be able to halve the cost of some legal matters.

The financial difficulties facing many law firms offers a real opportunity for growth, AIM-listed alternative business structure (ABS) Abbey Protection has claimed. It announced a 7% rise in turnover in 2012 to £38.7m and 3% increase in profits to £10.3m.

A sole practitioner has launched a business offering a range of unbundled legal services at fixed fees, including consultations via Skype for people who need help conducting their own cases. iSolictor UK offers a web ‘shop’ with a menu of fixed-fee services, run by a team of freelance lawyers.

A company that provides both claims management services and legal expenses insurance has joined forces with a law firm in an alternative business structure that needed a waiver to allow a 27-year-old solicitor to be its head of legal practice. It was one of two newly licensed CMCs.