Law firm secures financial support from Welsh government to launch global anti-piracy business
A south Wales law firm has secured a £432,000 grant from the Welsh government to establish a global intellectual property anti-piracy business in Cardiff. The business – which will create 71 jobs by 2020 – is being spun off by CJCH Solicitors, which has expanded in recent years to include a standalone anti-piracy and compliance offering within its IP division.
Supreme Court backs insurer’s bid to cap liability for multiple claims against law firm
The Supreme Court has sided with a leading professional indemnity insurer in interpreting the rules that govern the way insurers can aggregate multiple claims against solicitors. Overturning the Court of Appeal, it was ruling in claims by investors against a law firm arising from failed property developments in Turkey and Morocco.
Would-be complaints chief says process needs “root and branch review”
There needs to be a “root and branch” review of the complaints process run by the Legal Ombudsman, with the speed with which complaints are resolved a particular concern, according to the prospective chair of the organisation’s governing body.
Consumer panel warns against “information overload” in new transparency regime
The Legal Services Consumer Panel has warned of “information overload” as legal regulators struggle to come to terms with the demands of the Competition and Markets Authority for transparency on prices and complaints.
Impact of Brexit on legal services “a cause for concern”, justice committee says
The justice select committee has described the impact of Brexit on legal services as “a cause for concern, but not hyberbole”, in a report published today. MPs said that maintaining cross-border legal practice rights and access to “valuable regulations” on inter-state commercial law should be two of the four main justice aims for government negotiators.
“We’ve gone for moderate options to reform PI,” says justice minister
The increase in whiplash claims at a time of falling road traffic accidents and improving car safety means that “cases are obviously exaggerated to some extent, and perhaps fraudulent”, justice minister Sir Oliver Heald said yesterday as he defended the government’s “moderate” personal injury reform proposals during the second reading of the Prisons and Courts Bill.
Public access work grows six-fold in only five years
The value of public access work carried out by barristers as a proportion of the profession’s income grew six-fold over just five years, according to new figures seen by Legal Futures. They come as a Bar Standards Board review of public access found it was working well, but had areas for improvement.
Profits up but turnover down for NAH as Underdog faces being sent to his kennel
NAHL plc – the legal marketing business that owns National Accident Helpline – has reported a 15% increase in profits despite a small fall in turnover in 2016 that would have been significantly larger had the non-personal injury elements of its business not performed well.
SDT rejects plea of solicitor who claimed “perfect storm” of problems made strike-off unjust
A solicitor with nearly 25 years’ experience has been struck off for dishonestly using client funds to prop up his business and failing to pass on to an RTA client the £73,500 due to her, after a “perfect storm” of circumstances put his firm in difficulties.
Government PI reforms will hand insurers windfall of up to £700m, say economists
The government’s personal injury reforms will boost insurers’ profits by up to £700m a year as its estimate of how much of the savings will be passed back to motorists in lower premiums is “implausibly high”, an economics consultancy has predicted ahead of today’s second reading of the Prisons and Courts Bill.
