Solicitors adopting “more enlightened” approach to billing
Law firms in England and Wales have imported the practice used by some American firms of offering clients the opportunity to reduce bills if they perceive poor service, it has emerged.
Law firm should have warned property investors about “notoriously crime-ridden” Calabria
A law firm with offices in Italy and England was under a duty to warn British and Irish property investors of the risks of investing in a part of Italy associated with organised crime, the High Court has ruled.
Osborne: CMCs face fundamental review and fees cap
A “fundamental review” of claims management companies – along with a cap on the fees that they can charge consumers – was announced by Chancellor George Osborne in today’s Summer Budget.
SMEs search the internet first when seeking specialist legal help, Google survey finds
Owners and managers of small to medium-sized businesses begin by searching the internet when looking for specialist legal help, a survey by Google has found. Individuals still preferred to rely on friends. Meanwhile, the use of mobile devices to search for law firms is “going bananas”.
Bar student who failed single module loses JR over having to retake entire BPTC
A mature Bar student has lost a judicial review against the Bar Standards Board after a two-time failure to pass a single module on opinion writing meant he in turn failed the Bar Professional Training Course and would have to take entire course again before moving onto pupillage.
Number of unsolicited personal injury approaches to consumers “still high”, says survey
The number of people receiving unsolicited personal injury marketing messages has changed little in the last three years, research by YouGov has found. Meanwhile, a claims management company has been rapped over the knuckles for not making clear in a television advert that calls from mobiles to its 0800 number would not be free.
ABSs delivering on the promise of innovation, major research concludes
The goal of promoting innovation and diversity in the provision of legal services through the introduction of alternative business structures “has been realised”, joint research by the Legal Services Board and Solicitors Regulation Authority has concluded. Across the market, innovation is used to extend service range, improve service quality, and attract new clients – but is “not typically used” to lower costs.
ABS targets UK SMEs with legal ‘concierge’ service, with British ex-pats in Spain to follow
An ambitious Merseyside practice has obtained an alternative business structure licence as part of plans to start a round-the-clock “concierge service for SMEs”, and to kick-start its overseas expansion into southern Spain, targeting the British ex-pat community.
Bogus solicitors given jail time for providing immigration advice
A man who falsely claimed to be a solicitor has been jailed for 15 months after being guilty of providing unregulated immigration advice and services, while another who was actually a bus driver has been handed a suspended sentence.
Judges may not chair inquiries if MPs question recommendations, Beatson LJ warns
Judges may be reluctant to chair government inquiries if MPs on select committees question them about their recommendations, Lord Justice Beatson has warned. The judge said some MPs did not accept that chairing an inquiry was a “judicial function”.
