In brief: ABS-in-waiting unveils strong results, barrister libel ruling, and much more
Our latest news round-up reports on big turnover and profit increases at Quindell, a High Court ruling on the absolute privilege of correspondence with a regulator, new equality rules for chambers and much more.
Complex legal products risk the law’s own mis-selling scandal, ombudsman warns
The Chief Legal Ombudsman today warned of the risk of a payment protection insurance-type scandal engulfing the legal profession after collecting evidence of clients being sold complex and confusing legal products that they often struggled to understand.
France says ‘Non’ to ABS
Alternative business structures cannot be viewed as law firms and will not be allowed to operate in France, the body representing the 179 French bar associations has said. They claimed ABSs conflict with lawyers’ independence.
New CILEx president: give us independent practice rights
The absence of independent practice rights for chartered legal executives has created a series of “absurdities” and there is no sensible reason to deny those rights, the incoming president of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives has claimed.
No means test and no minimum payment for QOCS, government decides
There is to be no means test to benefit from qualified one-way costs-shifting, the government has announced. Justice minister Jonathan Djanogly provided an update on implementation of the Jackson reforms.
Jordans eyes up ABS to expand beyond company services
Well-known business services provider Jordans Ltd is to set up an alternative business structure aimed at handling outsourced legal work for both companies and law firms, it has emerged.
University bids to create ‘ABS-ready’ law students and develop innovation in legal services
A groundbreaking project that aims to encourage students to think about innovation in the post-alternative business structure world – and help them develop new ideas for delivering legal services – has been launched by Sheffield Hallam University.
Firms in top 25 “eyeing up M&A activity with non-lawyers”, says survey
A surprising number of top law firms are eyeing up merger with or acquisition of a firm from another profession, accountants BDO have found. Ten firms in the top 25 said it could happen in the next three years.
Judges “warming up” to QASA as row over solicitor-advocates rumbles on
There are more positive messages from the judiciary that they will take part in the new Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates, and they are relaxed about the prospect of assessments being used for appeals against conviction, it was claimed last week.
Fancy joining the SRA board? Recruitment starts to introduce lay majority for first time
The introduction of a lay majority on the board of the Solicitors Regulation Authority moved a step closer yesterday after an advertisement for four new lay members and two solicitor members was published.
