Ex-Premier League footballer launches ABS
A company founded by an ex-Premier League footballer to help people buy and invest in overseas property has converted into an alternative business structure so as to bring legal work in-house. Judicare Law International also seeks to protect investors in foreign property from losing money to developers in collapsed schemes and scams.
Bar Council raises fundamental concerns about CPD scheme shortly before launch
The Bar Council has slammed the Bar Standards Board’s forthcoming continuing professional development regime as being burdensome, complicated, unfit for purpose, and involving “pointless” self-assessment. It warned that the scheme would lead to “many practitioners” being “likely to fail in their compliance”.
Leading business recovery firm launches ABS
Well-known recovery specialist Leonard Curtis has today launched an alternative business structure to create a multi-disciplinary offering to businesses in financial distress. The solicitor founder said his experience to date showed how accountants were much better at being SMEs’ ‘trusted adviser’ than law firms.
Solicitor cleared over accepting money from Axiom fund – but still faces £46,000 costs bill
A solicitor who borrowed money from the controversial Axiom Legal Financing Fund has been cleared of any misconduct by a Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal – taking the count in cases arising from Axiom to five solicitors struck off and three cleared. However, costs do not follow the event in the tribunal and he was ordered to pay £46,000 in costs.
Still hanging on the telephone – law firms fail the mystery shopping test
There is still evidence of a culture within law firms where incoming client enquiries are not valued, or seen from the client’s point of view, a new report has found. Concert’s Legal services communications report said there was a “particular gap” around sales-focused communication.
Record results for Redde as it takes full ownership of its second ABS
Redde plc – the AIM-listed accident management company that owns two law firms, announced record results yesterday, and also that it has taken full ownership of the smaller of its alternative business structures. Turnover grew 53% to £379m, with profit before tax up a similar amount to £34.6m.
SDT strikes off solicitor who denied receiving money from third party
A solicitor has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal after dishonestly misleading a client that her firm had not received an expected £10,000 from a third party. She later repaid the amount from another client’s account without permission, and falsely claimed she had issued and conducted court proceedings on his behalf when she had not.
Judge sacked for viewing porn at work accepts SRA rebuke as others also strike deals with regulator
All four of the judges named by the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office last year after being found to have watched pornography on judicial IT equipment have now been rebuked after the final one accepted his sanction. Two other agreements with a solicitor who moved money from client to office account, and a PI law firm, have also been published.
Niche ABS goes public ahead of market listing “in three or four years”
A niche health and social care alternative business structure has incorporated as a public limited company as a prelude to a future expansion and stock exchange listing. Ridouts Solicitors has no immediate plans to become a listed company but was getting it “ducks in a row” so as to be ready for when it happens.
SRA considers publishing firms’ complaints and claims records as quality indicators
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is considering whether to make data on complaints and insurance claims against law firms available to consumers as “possible indicators of quality”, it has revealed. It may also introduce logos to denote to consumers that firms are regulated and covered by the SRA’s compensation fund.
