‘NewLaw’ pioneer Blacklaws to take office at Law Society
Christina Blacklaws, who shot to prominence as director of policy at Co-operative Legal Services, has been elected as the next deputy vice-president of the Law Society. This means she should become president in July 2018, only the fifth woman to hold the chain of office in what will be, by then, the society’s 193-year history.
US law firm focused on divorcing men plots major UK expansion
The UK office of a major US law firm specialising in acting for men in divorce cases, is approaching its first anniversary with plans to expand into several UK cities. The Solicitors Regulation Authority initially “took an interest” in whether Cordell & Cordell discouraged women clients.
After the doctors and nurses, now dentists get an ABS
A company that provides valuation, sales and other services to dentists has added legal advice to its offering with the launch of an alternative business structure. The aim is to make FTA Law “the largest provider of legal services” to the dental profession.
Growing ‘CEO fraud’ cybercrime “presents risk to law firms”
Law firms need to guard against the type of cybercrime called ‘CEO fraud’, according to the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The fraud involves spoof e-mails apparently sent in the name of a senior manager to accounts staff authorising urgent cash transfers.
‘Harry Potter’ solicitor fails in challenge to Law Society’s FoI code
Dr Alan Blacker – the solicitor who has found himself at the centre of constant attention since a judge in 2014 described him as dressing “like something out of Harry Potter” – has failed in his bid to challenge the Law Society’s freedom of information code and stop it releasing information about him.
Neuberger: ODR may become only route to justice for smaller claims – but Bar is looking for alternatives
Online dispute resolution such as that used for low-value disputes by eBay could be the only way of ensuring access to justice in moderate-sized claims in future – but the Bar Council is trying to find an alternative that retains hearings, according to the president of the Supreme Court.
Tribunal upgrades fines for solicitors who ran SDLT avoidance schemes to three-year suspensions
Two solicitors originally fined £15,000 by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal for their involvement in operating tax avoidance schemes have been suspended for three years at a new hearing – although the Solicitors Regulation Authority had been pushing for strike-offs.
Report: ABSs punch well above their weight
Alternative business structures (ABS) make up just 4% of all solicitors’ firms but contributed 11% of the profession’s turnover, research has revealed. The Law Society’s annual statistical report, found ABSs were spread broadly across the different turnover bands, with around 50 of them having income in excess of £10m.
Regional law firm launches niche referral network
A regional law firm based in Peterborough has taken on the big referral networks by setting up a niche scheme of its own. BUCKLESconnect, launched this month, specialises in advice on French and Spanish law, planning and construction, and contentious probate.
“Change in law needed” to open up Legal Ombudsman to clients of unregulated firms, says boss
Only a change in the law would allow the Legal Ombudsman to cover complaints from consumers of unregulated law firms, the chair of the organisation’s governing body has said as he called on paralegals to campaign for access to the redress scheme.
