SDT throws out surveillance allegations against News of the World solicitor
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has thrown out charges against a solicitor for Rupert Murdoch’s News International accused of unreasonably advising and commissioning surveillance of two high-profile lawyers bringing phone hacking cases.
AI contract service secures financial backing
A web-based service which uses artificial intelligence (AI) rather than lawyers to give business clients crucial information about their contracts – and already works with Deliveroo – has secured a second round of funding from high-profile investors.
Accountants threaten legal services pull-out if government imposes independent regulation
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales has warned that it will “reconsider whether it wishes to remain as a legal services regulator” if the government insists that regulators are fully independent from their professional bodies. The long-awaited consultation on this is said to be imminent.
The SRA’s “folly”? Lawyers warn over changes to training of would-be solicitors
City solicitors, regional solicitors, consumers and the Law Society have all pushed back at the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s plans to reduce the two years that students have to spend in workplace training before qualifying.
Commercial firms need to redesign legal service with clients “refusing to pay for young lawyers”
Commercial law firms need to adopt a “redesigned approach to legal services”, including “paraprofessionals, technologists, information specialists, process managers and others” as well as lawyers, a major report has argued.
Top 10 accountancy firm joins the ABS gang
RSM has become the largest firm of accountants outside of the Big Four to launch a legal practice with an alternative business structure licence. The UK’s seventh largest provider of audit, tax and consulting services – which has revenues approaching £300m a year – will target mid-tier and owner-managed businesses with RSM Legal.
Government “cherrypicking misleading figures” to push PI reforms
Department for Transport statistics show that the government is using “misleading” figures on the number of injuries caused road traffic accidents to push forward its persona injury reforms, undermining one of the key arguments for them, the Motor Accident Solicitors Society has claimed.
City firm launches lawtech start-up incubator
Leading London law firm and alternative business structure Mishcon de Reya yesterday announced the creation of an incubator for lawtech start-ups, with the founder saying it was less about investment than helping to change the firm’s culture to embrace technology.
Compensation scheme counts cost of indemnity insurance failures – but predicts no new ones this year
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) has had to increase its provision for general insurance claims by around £45m for the next financial year, because of the failures of Enterprise Insurance and Gable Insurance AG, it has emerged, while it is still paying out for other insurers that used to back solicitors.
Senior judge launches extraordinary attack over “blackmail” by solicitors and tells barristers to stop defending them
A senior judge has accused solicitors of “blackmailing” the immigration tribunal in an extraordinary attack that also branded their conduct as “disgraceful” and “shameful” in not pursuing the appeals they had lodged.He also warned that some barristers had wrongly seen their role as protecting their instructing solicitors.
