Fifth of law firms admit to substandard service
A fifth of law firms admit to providing a substandard service at some point in the past year, with extra training for staff the common response, Solicitors Regulation Authority research has revealed.
SRA board backs moves to help MDPs, but charts cautious course on ditching accountants’ reports
The board of the Solicitors Regulation Authority today approved a series of measures to further its regulatory reform programme, including making it easier for multi-disciplinary practices to become alternative business structures.
SRA issues warning over inducements ban
The Solicitors Regulation Authority will not introduce specific rules to deal with the upcoming legislative ban on personal injury law firms paying inducements to claim, but has pledged to take “strong enforcement action” if firms breach it.
Consumer panel calls into question barristers’ £500,000 indemnity limit
The Legal Services Consumer Panel has called into question the existing minimum indemnity cover limit of £500,000 for barristers and called for more research before the limit was extended to firms regulated by the Bar Standards Board.
QS firm wins appeal over Polish paralegal “harassment”
A Walsall law firm has successfully appealed an employment tribunal ruling that a paralegal had been unlawfully harassed because she was Polish.
SRA set to end annual ‘keeping of the roll’ exercise
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is set to press ahead with plans to stop the annual exercise of checking whether non-practising solicitors want to stay on the roll, despite strong opposition from the Law Society.
Pitt cools talk of single regulator as he bids to build reform consensus
In his first interview since taking over as chairman of the Legal Services Board, Sir Michael Pitt has cooled talk of a single regulator for all legal services. Sir Michael also praised the Solicitors Regulation Authority for its current programme of reform.
Large firms finding they can’t “go it alone” in PI marketing
Leading marketing collective First4Lawyers said today that it has seen a clutch of larger personal injury (PI) firms return to its panel in recognition of the need for scale to compete effectively in the market.
BSB not expecting barrister rush to create entities
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) is not expecting the introduction of entity regulation to lead to many barristers joining forces in a single business, it has emerged.
LCJ uses Nightjack case to warn lawyers who mislead court of “exemplary punishments”
Lawyers who mislead the court will end up with “exemplary and deterrent” punishments, the Lord Chief Justice has warned. Lord Thomas was speaking after Alastair Brett, former legal manager at Times Newspapers, had limited success in appealing an SDT ruling.
