Knowles increases investment in The Link App as it seeks crowdfunding boost
The Link App, the communications application for law firms and their clients created by former The Apprentice candidate Lauren Riley, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise £300,000 as it continues to establish itself. Sir Nigel Knowles has taken over as chairman of the company.
Pockets of poor practice as SRA issues revised PI warning notice
There is still some bad practice among personal injury firms – particularly around their relationships with work introducers and other third parties – but overall it is a positive picture of good practice and compliance, the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s has found. It also suggested that the low level of reported fraud was because defendant firms chose to opt for a discontinuance rather than press the issue.
Legal regulation “more than ripe for total overhaul”, House of Lords told
Legal regulation is “more than ripe for total overhaul”, a former chair of the Bar Standards Board has told the House of Lords. Speaking in a debate on better regulation, Baroness Deech argued that by the time the Legal Services Act 2007 came into force, it was all already out of date because of the financial crash.
Rise of LiPs “key challenge for family lawyers and courts system”
The rise in the number of litigants-in-person in the family courts since the 2013 legal aid reforms has topped a poll of the causes of discontent among family law practitioners for the fifth year running, it has emerged.
Barrister peer to face negligence claim alongside leading firm despite civil restraining order
The High Court has struck out a negligence claim brought against a barrister peer for breaching an extended civil restraint order – only to then permit the claimant to issue a further claim form. Max Couper is seeking to sue both Lord Thomas of Gresford – the Liberal Democrats’ shadow attorney general – and Irwin Mitchell.
Law firms failing to tell clients who complain that they can go to LeO
Only a third of law firms are telling clients who make a complaint that they can refer it to the Legal Ombudsman if they are not satisfied with the outcome, research by the Solicitors Regulation Authority has found. The report also revealed limited support among firms for the compulsory publication of first-tier complaints data.
“Lawyers still needed” say big firms in tech push, with Clydes mining ‘big data’
City law firm Clyde & Co has teamed up with computing students to undertake data analysis for clients, including predictions of the likelihood of disputes going to trial and potential litigation outcomes. Meanwhile, Bristol-based TLT has taken a share of a US artificial intelligence contracts review software supplier.
Exclusive: “The impact has been devastating but I have to stand up to discrimination,” says barrister suing BSB
The barrister who won the first stage of her battle with the Bar Standards Board at the Supreme Court last week said the impact of almost five years of litigation had been “completely devastating” for her law firm. She also suggested that the courts “have their own problem with discrimination”.
Death of QASA could be “turning point” for regulation of barristers, Bar leader says
The decision of the Bar Standards Board to withdraw from the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates could be a “turning point” in the regulation of barristers, the in-coming chair of the Bar Council has said. Andrew Walker QC called for a “proper dialogue” between the Bar Council and the Bar’s regulators, both the Legal Services Board and BSB.
Simpson Millar to cut 20% of staff in bid to recover from Fairpoint “under-investment”
National law firm Simpson Millar is set to make at least 20% of its workforce redundant as part of a restructuring that follows its listed parent company going into administration earlier this year. The firm said the changes were designed “to put in place a sustainable cost base following substantial under-investment under the ownership of Fairpoint Group PLC”.
