Lawyers raise fears over ‘equivalent means’ route to qualification
The legal community has mixed feelings about the ‘equivalent means’ route to qualification as a solicitor, with even those who like the idea fearing the consquences of greater competition and consequently lower wages, according to a survey.
Government cuts regulation for firms involved in consumer credit work
The government has reduced the scope of regulation for law firms involved in consumer credit work, such as debt collection. It has also increased the ability of firms to offer payment by instalments.
Slater & Gordon strikes £677m deal to buy Quindell’s professional services division
Slater & Gordon has entered into an agreement to acquire Quindell plc’s professional services division in return for upfront consideration of £637m, with an estimated £40m to follow from a 50% earn-out from existing noise-induced hearing loss cases.
Veyo: 1,880 firms express interest
The claim last week by conveyancing portal Veyo that “just under a half of conveyancing firms in England and Wales have now registered” with it means simply that they have provided basic contact details to keep up-to-date with developments, Legal Futures has established.
BSB mulls replacing prescriptive cab-rank rule with guiding principle
The Bar Standards Board has finally published a consultation on changes to the standard contractual terms and the cab-rank rule – almost eight months later than it had originally promised.
First legal executives granted historic independent practice rights
A member of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives who specialises in conveyancing has become the first to receive independent practice rights. A probate specialist and a legal executive who runs his own immigration firm were also granted independent rights.
University of Law granted ABS licence
The University of Law has become the first academic institution to be granted an alternative business structure licence by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. ULaw said the licence will allow it to expand its legal advice clinic at the Bloomsbury branch in London.
Keeping it simple: QS-owner Simplify Group buys Simplify the Law
The Simplify Group – the legal services group that owns QualitySolicitors – has added online business Evident Legal to its portfolio. Evident began life in 2011 as a law firm franchise called Simplify the Law, before reinventing itself in late 2012 as an online document business.
LSB refuses to be drawn into legal aid debate and turns spotlight on profession instead
The Legal Services Board has emphatically rejected calls to join the protests against legal aid cuts, and suggested instead that the profession needs to work harder to provide access to legal services.
Struck off and now disbarred: lawyer who defrauded the Law Society
A former solicitor and non-practising barrister who was convicted of a string of offences – including assaulting two police officers and defrauding the Law Society of £23,000 while a member of its council – has been disbarred two months after she was struck off the roll of solicitors.
