Criminal law barristers urged to embrace new business structures to survive
Criminal law barristers need to consider significant changes to their business models if they are to remain competitive, the Legal Services Board has argued. It said liberalisation is one of the reasons the government does not need to intervene in the criminal advocacy market.
Solicitors pass motion of no-confidence in Law Society president and chief executive
Solicitors today passed a motion of no-confidence in the president and chief executive of the Law Society over their handling of negotiations with the Lord Chancellor about changes to criminal legal aid. The society’s ruling council is now meeting in emergency session to debate its response.
Firm launches ABS spin-off after pledge of multi-million pound recovery work
An international law firm has launched a start-up alternative business structure to carry out recovery work after being promised cases with a debt value of £40m by existing corporate clients.
Law Society SGM: battle lines drawn as at least 600 solicitors head to Chancery Lane
An unprecedented wave of specialist criminal law solicitors is set to converge on Chancery Lane tomorrow, when the special general meeting to debate a motion of no confidence in the Law Society’s handling of government legal aid reforms is held.
Exclusive: US tech business bidding to re-engineer divorce process targets UK expansion
A US company looking to re-engineer the divorce process through an innovative technology platform and process has laid out its plans to come to the UK, Legal Futures can reveal. Wevorce recently raised $1.7m (£1m) in new funding.
MPs endorse Green as next chair of Office for Legal Complaints
Former policeman Steve Green today cleared the final hurdle to his appointment as the new chair of the Office for Legal Complaints – the body that oversees the Legal Ombudsman – after he was endorsed by MPs on the justice select committee.
HighStreetLawyer ditches consumer business to focus on building online collaboration
The “balloon has burst” on networks of law firms grouping together to share marketing, while the appetite among solicitors for collaboration with their peers is growing, the founder of a small firm legal network said this week.
Exclusive: Law Society puts paralegal accreditation scheme on hold
The Law Society has delayed the launch of its paralegal accreditation scheme, Legal Futures has learned. The scheme – aimed at non-qualified staff working in organisations regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority – was scheduled to go live in autumn 2013.
Partnership tax reforms “will impede law firm investment”
Reformed HMRC rules dealing with the taxation of partnerships will obstruct “innocent” firms trying to invest in their businesses and force them to modify their profit-sharing arrangements, according to a leading firm of accountants.
SRA still trying to work out how many firms don’t have insurance
A “substantial” number of law firms have failed to tell the Solicitors Regulation Authority whether or not they have professional indemnity insurance, the regulator admitted today. The SRA would not reveal how many had not declared their insurance position.
