Legal Services Act
Gina Miller takes on new campaign: wills reform
Businesswoman Gina Miller has turned to the “outdated” wills legislation in her latest campaign, calling for emergency measures to help people make wills during the Covid-19 crisis.
Firms “avoiding radical staff measures” during crisis
Most law firms have continued to resist radical measures to cope with the Covid-19 crisis, taking “moderate steps in the short term to ensure resilience in the long term”, new research has found.
Crisis gives firms “platform to accelerate change”
The coronavirus crisis has given law firms a “platform to accelerate change” in promoting equality, the chief operating officer of Bristol-based law firm Burges Salmon has said.
Gateley redeploys staff to “busy” counter-cyclical areas
AIM-listed law firm Gateley has moved underemployed staff to support counter-cyclical services that are “extremely busy”, it reassured investors yesterday.
Conveyancers lobby for furloughing flexibility
Conveyancers and other property stakeholders have called on Chancellor Rishi Sunak to allow them to move staff in and out of furlough on a weekly basis as the home-moving market recovers.
Signs of market “stabilising” but listed firms cut dividends
There are “early signs” that the market is stabilising after the initial impact of lockdown saw instructions fall 20%, listed firm Knights has said. But it will not pay a dividend, while Rosenblatt has cut its payout.
ODR and sandbox at heart of major lawtech push
An online dispute resolution platform for SMEs and a ‘lawtech sandbox’ were unveiled today as cornerstones of a concerted push to develop digital legal services in the UK.
Consumer law firm nets big acquisition and investment
Fast-growing consumer law firm Taylor Rose TTKW has more than doubled in size after taking over private equity-backed McMillan Williams – and has taken investment of its own, we can reveal.
Minister: “No plans” for review of Legal Services Act
A review of the Legal Services Act 2007 is not on the agenda, the government has confirmed. It also indicated that it was happy with the work done by the Legal Services Board
Listed firms make lawyers multi-millionaires – on paper
The solicitor boss of listed law firm Knights entered the Sunday Times Rich List at the weekend, and our calculations show that lawyers at other listed firms are also worth many millions – on paper at least.
Barrister in libel battle with TV personalities
Comments about TV stars Rachel Riley and Tracy-Ann Oberman made in an article retweeted by a London barrister were defamatory, the High Court has ruled in a preliminary hearing.
Legal tech education “disjointed and ad hoc”
Legal technology education is focused too much on ‘hot topics’ like machine learning and blockchain, making it “disjointed and ad hoc” in character, a paper for the Legal Services Board has argued.
Company “no longer a suspect” in SFO Quindell probe
The AIM-listed company formerly known as Quindell is no longer a suspect in the Serious Fraud Office’s investigation of what happened before the sale of its legal arm to Slater & Gordon.
LSB gives Bar Council a ticking off over staffing criticism
The Legal Services Board has given the Bar Council a slap on the wrist for the comments it made in a Legal Futures article about staffing levels at the oversight regulator.
Class action firm splits from US partner as it targets Brazil
A class action law firm that launched less than two years ago in conjunction with a specialist US practice is now going its own way as it targets bringing Latin American cases in London.
Blog
Legal director: an alternative to partnership
Firms are increasingly acknowledging the need for alternative senior roles – positions that offer influence and recognition without the obligations of ownership.
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.
