High Court: SDT wrong to reject solicitor’s medical evidence but right to strike him off
The High Court has upheld a decision by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) to strike off solicitor Timothy Schools, but said that evidence about the state of his health should not have been rejected.
Keep legal executives out of the Crown Court, Rivlin report demands
A report for the Bar Council on the future of criminal justice and advocacy has recommended that legal executives are kept out of the Crown Courts, while solicitors should only be granted rights of audience if they have undergone the same level of training as barristers.
Slater & Gordon announcement strengthens shareholder claims against Quindell, say lawyers
Yesterday’s announcement of the deal for Slater & Gordon to buy Quindell’s professional services division provided details that are likely to strengthen the case being brought against Quindell by disgruntled shareholders, their lawyers have said.
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.
