High Court refers immigration solicitors to SRA after five “hopeless” judicial reviews
The High Court has referred an immigration practice to the Solicitors Regulatory Authority after reviewing five “hopeless” judicial reviews, each of which had already been deemed to be an abuse of process.
SRA hoping for end of “long journey” on consumer credit after FCA deal
The chair of the Solicitors Regulation Authority has said the end is in sight of its “long, long journey” on consumer credit after a last-minute deal with the Financial Conduct Authority.
SRA postpones introduction of third-party alternative to client account
The introduction of third-party managed accounts as an alternative to traditional client accounts will be postponed by at least a year to the end of 2016, the Solicitors Regulation Authority board decided yesterday. However, the board approved a mixed bag of deregulatory rule changes on other issues.
Axiom launches contracting platform to take the pain out of routine agreements
Legal services disruptor Axiom has claimed to be “the undisputed market leader in all things contracting” after launching an online platform that enables businesses to handle routine contracts with little effort.
SRA hits back after Law Society attack on indemnity reforms
Paul Philip, chief executive of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, has hit back after the SRA’s latest indemnity insurance plans were fiercely criticised by the Law Society. He said the regulator had made “absolutely no new recommendations”.
Barrister and solicitor set up groundbreaking BSB-regulated firm
A barrister and solicitor have chosen the Bar Standards Board (BSB) to regulate their niche firm that specialises in defending teachers and other professionals in disciplinary actions. It is understood to be the first firm consisting of a barrister and solicitor to become a BSB entity.
It’s all about the pictures: government considers radical changes to contracts
Radical changes are being considered for government contracts for digital services, including removing “negative language”, limiting sentences to two lines and hosting boilerplate clauses online. Use of visual images is also being encouraged.
Adopting new structures for chambers “not so important”, say heads of newly merged set
Structures are “far from being as central to the success of a modern set as their proponents suggest”, the joint heads of the newly merged Drystone Chambers have argued. Karim Khalil QC and Andrew Campbell-Tiech QC also suggested that mergers between competing sets stored up problems for the future.
Pioneering ABS adds estate agency to boost legal business
The first independent financial adviser to set up a law firm from scratch has added an estate agency to work alongside its alternative business structure. Leicester-based Bobby Dhanjal Legal Services has also brought its first trainee solicitor through to qualification.
European rules would make it harder for LeO to reject complaints
The European directive on alternative dispute resolution will not only extend the period for making complaints about lawyers from six to twelve months, but reduce the grounds for the Legal Ombudsman to reject them from 14 to four, it has emerged.
