Solicitor struck off for fraud despite blackmail claim
A solicitor who took money from clients – including telling a personal injury client that he had been awarded less than he really had – has been struck off despite claiming that he was being blackmailed at the time.
US debate on whether to allow ABSs heats up
More than two decades’ experience of alternative business structures has shown lower rates of complaint against lawyers than in traditional firms, a law firm headquartered in Washington DC, which allows non-lawyer ownership, has argued – as lawyers and businesses keen on the legal market lined up against each other.
Mid-market firms losing corporate work “by stealth”, report says
Corporate clients are bleeding law firms without them realising it, as work is funnelled away to cheaper providers by in-house counsel who wish to avoid confrontation over pricing, according to a report. The steady process of commoditisation was behind the shift, it said.
Insurer turns in-house legal team into ABS
Well-known legal expenses insurer Elite Insurance has joined the select group of companies to turn their in-house legal teams into an alternative business structure, Legal Futures can reveal. The Gibraltar-domiciled company aims to reduce its overall claims and legal spend.
SRA warns firms against charging for money laundering checks
Law firms that charge clients for money laundering due diligence checks are at risk of breaking the rules, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has warned in a report that in the main painted a positive picture of how firms are approaching their responsibilities in relation to anti money laundering.
‘Smart contract’ technology with blockchain “will change the structure of deals”
An pioneering commercial law firm is offering computer coding training for its lawyers and clients to teach the emerging technology behind ‘smart’ contracts. The firm has also reported a growth in the recruitment of computer-literate lawyers who also have a scientific or technical background
LSB report “the best ever”, SRA says
The chief executive of the Solicitors Regulation Authority has responded to strongly-worded criticisms this week from the Legal Services Board by the describing its report as “the best ever” received from the oversight regulator. However, Mr Philip admitted that there were parts of the report and performance review where the SRA had a “different opinion”.
Lawyer-led ABSs are leading the way, says head of Jackson Canter as it doubles in size
Lawyer-led alternative business structures are leaving their rivals behind, the head of North West firm Jackson Canter has said. Executive chairman Andrew Holroyd was speaking as the firm announced the acquisition of Lees Solicitors, doubling its size to over 280 staff.
SRA puts conditions on return to practice of former Law Society council member duped by clerk
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has put conditions on the return to the law of a former Law Society council member who was once found by a Crown Court judge to have been “wholly unsuited” to running a legal practice.
Legal Services Board makes the case for regulatory independence
The lack of independence between the legal regulators and representative bodies risks undermining the credibility of regulation and allows the likes of the Law Society and Bar Council to delay reforms that would benefit competition, the Legal Services Board said yesterday.
