News round-up: barrister jailed for chambers theft, another mySRA extension, and much more
Our latest news round-up reports on a barrister jailed after stealing £72,500 from his chambers, more problems with the SRA’s online PC renewal system, surveys on fixed fees and compliance, and the appeal court upholding a ruling against a firm innocently caught up in mortgage fraud.
Pass the parcel: should you indemnify your COLP?
Allison Wooddisse, head of LexisPSL Practice Compliance, looks at the whether and how law firms should indemnify COLPs against adverse consequences from taking on the role. Many COLPs are feeling jumpy but an indemnity is not as straightforward as it may appear.
LSB rebuffs US and European concerns as IMF bids to make bailout countries reform legal professions
The Legal Services Board has stepped into the controversy around the International Monetary Fund’s push to make countries receiving financial bailouts reform their legal professions as part of the deal.
Google-backed US online legal service to open up UK lawyer panel next month
Rocket Lawyer, the Google-backed US online legal document service, is on track to launch in the UK later this year, with lawyers set to be offered the chance to join its panel from next month, Legal Futures can reveal.
Government county court reforms assailed from all sides
The government’s plans to reform the county courts have attracted criticism from both claimant and defendant lawyers as well as costs specialists – albeit for different reasons, with the lack of detail a particular bugbear.
Solicitors “sitting on sizeable tax rebates”
Conveyancers will soon be responsible for making commercial clients aware of capital allowances reports and should be careful not to be caught out or risk a negligence action, a tax expert has warned.
Government lays out cautious approach to extending fixed-fee system across personal injury
The government is to take an unexpectedly cautious approach to extending the road traffic accident portal regime and has ditched the idea of mandatory pre-action directions, it announced today.
APIL to float last-ditch Jackson compromise
The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers will next week launch a final attempt to challenge the Jackson reforms by setting out a new negotiating position that drops outright opposition to the changes. However, defendant lawyers rebuffed any suggestion of compromise.
News round-up: SRA caution over HSBC undertaking, slowdown in law firm closures, and much more
Our latest news round-up cover the SRA’s view of HSBC’s conveyancing undertaking, a fall in the number of firms closing ahead of PII renewal, a warning over merger failures, the Co-op seeking legal apprentices, and key appointments at Irwin Mitchell, the Law Society and CIPA.
Government to unveil county court shake-up with doubling of small claims limit
The government is expected to announce on Thursday that the small claims limit will be doubled to £10,000, although the limit for personal injury cases will remain at £1,000, Legal Futures has learned. Extension of the RTA portal should also be part of the package.
