Undercover police officer scandal "highlights need for greater protection of legal privilege"
The government last week rejected a Bar Council-inspired bid to protect lawyer-client conversations from covert police surveillance where legal professional privilege is not being abused in furtherance of a criminal purpose. However, the Bar Council has vowed to press on with its campaign.
Law firm loses appeal over "slur" against gay barrister
Niche City litigation firm Bivonas has failed to overturn a ruling that it discriminated against an employed barrister on the basis of his sexual orientation. However, the College of Law and SRA have defeated a disability discrimination claim brought by an LPC student.
Lawyers told: don’t be put off social media by barrister fined over tweets
Lawyers were this week told not to be discouraged from embracing social media after a barrister who was among the legal pioneers on Twitter was fined for messages he posted on the service. However, the case does raise questions over the role of regulators in policing lawyers’ activity on Twitter.
RJW deal shows firms have a realisable value – and are getting "real" about business, say experts
Slater & Gordon’s takeover of Russell Jones & Walker is evidence that law firms are “joining the real business world” and that there is realisable value in legal practices, leading consultants have said.
Government to consider tightening up referral fee ban and regulating third-party funding
The government is to consider tightening up the ban on referral fees in personal injury and also introducing statutory regulation of third-party litigation funding, it confirmed yesterday. It also clarified whether payments can be made for solicitor-to-solicitor referrals under the ban.
New websites aid solicitors seeking barristers, and consumers seeking solicitors they can trust
A new service has been launched that allows solicitors to contact numerous sets of barristers chambers simultaneously to check what counsel are available for a case they are looking to cover. Meanwhile, another online service aimed at helping consumers find tradesmen is now targeting the legal market.
Fixed-share partners are partners and not employees, Court of Appeal confirms
A former fixed-share partner at south-coast law firm Lester Aldridge has lost his appeal against a ruling that he was a partner and not an employee in the limited liability partnership and so unable to claim unfair dismissal.
SRA calls on government to provide more clarity over referral fee ban
The government needs to provide further clarity and guidance on how the ban on referral fees will operate in practice, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has warned. Issues such as the definition of a referral fee need to be resolved.
News in brief: solicitors, accountants and IFAs join forces, "ABSs are future for conveyancing", and more
Our latest news round-up takes in an innovative partnership to combine financial, taxation and legal advice, an update on ABS applications, the role for ABSs in the conveyancing market, growing fraud claims against solicitors, support for provisional assessment, and new blood at the OLC.
"Pessimistic" barristers lukewarm about ABSs
Barristers are showing only “cautious interest” in alternative business structures, although they are keener on barrister-only entities, according to a major survey released yesterday. It also found a “worrying lack of optimisim” in the profession.
