Legal Services Act

Nearly three-quarters of small law firms believe they may have to close their doors in the next six months as result of the coronavirus crisis, Law Society research has found.

Former Lord Chancellor David Gauke, who lost his seat at December’s general election, has returned to his old firm Macfarlanes as head of public policy.

The Legal Services Consumer Panel has attacked SRA plans to reform the Compensation Fund, saying it should instead stop draining the fund to pay for closing down law firms.

Hull-based Hudgell Solicitors has begun work on trying to overturn as many as 500 potentially unsafe convictions as a result of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal.

Some law firms will go out of business, but the coronavirus crisis will “undoubtedly create opportunities” for those “agile” enough to take advantage of them, the founder of a legal consultancy has predicted.

Ground-breaking conveyancing law firm Muve has completed a £1.1m equity funding round, despite the property market grinding to a halt during the Covid-19 crisis.

A City law firm has launched a low-cost commercial law service, using a subscription model and fixed fees, as a “direct response” to the needs of business clients hit by Covid-19.

Profits at NAHL plc – the company that owns National Accident Helpline – tumbled by nearly 80% in 2019 as it emerged it is testing whether to start handling conveyancing matters itself.

Seven of the eight frontline regulators have “confirmed their continued commitment” to the Legal Choices website, despite the Solicitors Regulation Authority no longer wanting to run it.

A growing number of listed law firm Keystone Law’s consultants are employing their own lawyers as the model develops, the company said today as it unveiled double-digit growth.

The body that organises the annual silk round has responded to pressure to release reserves during the coronavirus crisis by donating £200,000 to the benevolent associations for solicitors and barristers.

Consumers still find it difficult to differentiate one law firm from another, but publishing prices helps and awareness of legal brands is slowly rising, new research has found.

Co-operative Legal Services is eyeing up partnerships to boost its probate and estate planning work after announcing a record year as an alternative business structure.

The Legal Services Board is launching a formal review of the Bar Standards Board’s leadership and decision-making in the wake of its controversial decision to stop funding the Legal Choices website.

Changes to the list of reserved activities that only authorised lawyers can do has been floated as one way the ways legal regulation could be flexed to help the profession recover from the Covid-19 crisis.