In-house lawyers need to “grasp nettle” with legal tech
Law firms are “way ahead” of in-house lawyers in adoption of legal tech and the latter need to “grasp the nettle”, the chief executive of a start-up which helps corporate counsel manage their workload has argued.
Exclusive: “Impossible” for insurers to meet whiplash deadline
A “growing number of insurers” believe there will not be enough time for them to prepare properly for launch of the whiplash portal in April 2020, the new head of FOIL has warned. One said it was “impossible”.
City firms circling Irish counterparts for EU foothold
Most of the large Irish law firms have been approached about a merger with a UK counterpart in the past year as City firms look to establish a foothold in the post-Brexit EU, it has emerged.
Law firms “fobbing off clients” with AI claims
Lawyers’ devotion to billable hour has stopped truly disruptive technology from changing the way legal services are delivered to the public, last week’s Legal Futures Innovation Conference was told.
Arbitration and ODR to settle smart contract disputes
Arbitration and online dispute resolution should be used when there are disputes about smart contracts, the Chancellor of the High Court has said.
Investors “eager to back law firms”
Investors are poised to buy into the legal services sector to capitalise on recent regulatory changes, with corporatised law firms best placed to benefit, according to an expert in external investment.
Solicitor took 15 years to finish distributing estate
A veteran solicitor who failed to complete several probate matters promptly – with one taking 15 years – has been fined by a tribunal. He said it had been a case of “out of sight out of mind”.
Sets without equal numbers of women “will lose work”
Market forces will mean that commercial sets without a diverse gender pool at all levels will soon find themselves losing work to more gender-equal sets, according to a circuit judge researching equality.
Exclusive: Consumer law consolidator eyes public listing
Metamorph Law, which has bought eight law firms in the past three years, is planning to list on the stock market in 12-18 months – the first move of its kind for a UK consumer law firm.
Former partner ordered to pay costs of SRA closing firm
The High Court has ordered a former partner to shoulder the £182,000 costs of the Solicitors Regulation Authority shutting down his law firm in the first case of its kind.
