SDT throws out case against solicitor over SRA abuse of process
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has taken the highly unusual step of throwing out proceedings taken against a solicitor, finding that the actions of the Solicitors Regulation Authority constituted an abuse of process.
Edmonds: LSB is interventionist and proud of it
The role of the Legal Services Board is to get involved and intervene – not to sit, watch and react – its chairman said yesterday, hitting back at critics of its activism. David Edmonds said the phrase “oversight regulator” does not appear in the Legal Services Act.
Three-quarters of people have received CMC ‘pest texts’, says research
Three in four people have received an unsolicited text or phone call from a claims management company offering them the chance to claim compensation, even though almost all had no grounds to bring a claim, according to research.
LSB calls on profession to engage with comparison websites and “will consider” accrediting them
The Legal Services Board has urged regulators and professional bodies to engage with comparison websites for the benefit of consumers, including providing access to their registers, Legal Futures can reveal.
Co-op accuses solicitors of hiding conveyancing charges in small print
Co-operative Legal Services has accused some solicitors of hiding extra charges in the small print of their quotes. The warning to consumers is the first sign of an aggressive push now it has its ABS licence.
ABSs stimulating a surge in the Anglo-Scottish urge to merge, say experts
The recent spate of Anglo-Scottish mergers will not be the last as Scotland gears up for its own alternative business structure regime going live, it has been predicted. There has been a “surge in M&A activity in the Scottish legal market”.
Revealed: new “bias” concern ramps up Bar disciplinary controversy
The controversy brewing over faulty appointments to Bar disciplinary panels – and the impact this could have on the decisions they took over recent years – has taken a new turn, Legal Futures can reveal.
News in brief: Quindell targets CMC aggregation, “charitable referral fees”, solicitor ad wins TV award
Our regular round-up of news snippets features another acquisition by ABS-in-waiting Quindell Portfolio, a solicitor’s TV ad winning a Royal Television Society award, a firm donating referral fees to charity, and ABS compensation fund arrangements.
Exclusive: mid-market private equity house targets law firm investment
Mid-market private equity business August Equity has become the latest to outline its intention to invest in the legal market, Legal Futures can reveal. It typically invests between £10m and £30m in equity.
Consumer panel calls for five-fold increase in LeO’s compensation limit to £150,000
The current limit of compensation that the Legal Ombudsman can award complainants should increase five-fold to £150,000, the Legal Services Consumer Panel has recommended. It also called for abolition of the two ‘free’ complaints every firm/lawyer is allowed each year without incurring a case fee.
