Barristers fear QASA boycott will lead to loss of right to practise
Some barristers are worried that boycotting the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates will lead to their committing a criminal offence by practising without authorisation, the chairman of the Criminal Bar Association has revealed. Meanwhile, the first wave of judicial training on the scheme has been successfully completed.
New marketing collective bids to move beyond PI as Accidents Direct plans big panel expansion
A new marketing collective that is targeting consumer and commercial legal work – Simply Lawyers – is preparing for launch, Legal Futures can reveal. Meanwhile, Accidents Direct hopes to become the country’s leading claims management company by bringing more firms onto its panel.
LSB and consumer panel back OFT call for simpler legal regulation
The Legal Services Board and Legal Services Consumer Panel have thrown their weight behind Friday’s Office of Fair Trading report that urged continuing simplification of the regulatory regime for lawyers, particularly around complaints.
Speed up ABS process and simplify complaints process further, says OFT report
Regulators need to speed up their processes for approving alternative business structures, the Office of Fair Trading said today. It also called for further simplification of the complaints system, recommended actions to increase the number of available pupillages and gave cautious support for the move away from title-based regulation.
Townsend: we’re doing well but will get better
Not all alternative business structure applicants have understood what is required of them, which in part explains delays in approving some licences, the chief executive of the Solicitors Regulation Authority has said in a robust defence of the regulator’s performance that also dealt with compliance officer approvals.
Circuits call heads of chambers meetings to consider QASA boycott
The six circuits have each called meetings of heads of chambers to discuss whether to boycott the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA), it has emerged. The leader of the south-eastern circuit said two aspects of QASA remain “entirely objectionable”.
Betfair founder revealed as principal investor in new ABS
The millionaire co-founder of Betfair – the world’s largest betting exchange – is the principal investor behind new alternative business structure Brilliant Law, it has emerged. Brilliant Law said it is the UK’s first law firm set up by non-lawyers, a team “renowned for challenging the markets within which they operate”
PI firms outperform all others and are keenest on ABSs, finds ‘state of the nation’ survey
Personal injury firms have weathered the recession better than any other area of practice – and are far more likely to be looking for external investment than any other as well, one of the largest-ever surveys of solicitors’ firms has found. It said employment, family and corporate / commercial specialists also performed better than average.
New AIM-listed ABSs announce good 2012 results and look forward to more having received licences
Quindell Portfolio and Abbey Protection, AIM-listed companies which both received their alternative business structure licences last month, have reported that their 2012 results are looking good. Quindell said it has had more approaches from prospective acquisition targets, while Abbey is planning an acquisition.
From social welfare law to remortgaging – latest ABSs take licence count to 70
A social welfare law firm, a boutique dispute resolution practice, and a dedicated volume remortgage specialist that wants to align its structure with its corporate clients, are among the most recent alternative business structures licensed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
