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.
Good news day for solicitors: both strike-offs and negligence claims fall
The number of solicitors struck off in the year to March dropped by 43%, while the number of negligence claims against solicitors reaching the High Court has also fallen, a flurry of new figures have shown.
SRA board warned over financial advice confusion
Controversial proposals by the Solicitors Regulation Authority to end the requirement on practitioners to refer clients to independent financial advisers risk being misunderstood, a member of the SRA board warned last week.
SRA: nearly half of firms began COLPs and COFAs process in first month
Nearly half of all law firms have so far “engaged with the process” of appointing their COLPs and COFAs, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has revealed. Separately it laid out its imminent plans to survey every law firm about staff diversity.
Will-writer becomes ABS to handle reserved work and plumps for CLC regulation
A will-writing and probate services company in Birmingham has become the latest alternative business structure, and only the second licensed by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers.
Cost of practising as a solicitor to rise well above inflation
The cost of practising as a solicitor will rise well above inflation this year, mainly to ensure the Law Society has the funds to compensate the victims of fraud, but also to make up the cost of IT project overruns.
LSB gets clean bill of health but idea of ‘super regulator’ remains on the horizon
The Legal Services Board and Office for Legal Complaints were today given a clean bill of health by the government, although it acknowledged that in the long term transforming the LSB into a ‘super regulator’ is an option.
Law Society budgets for £10m deficit as Hudson receives 6.8% pay rise
IT project “cost overruns” have contributed to the Law Society budgeting for a £10m deficit this year, it has emerged. The 2011 accounts also reveal that chief executive Des Hudson received a 6.8% pay rise last year to £407,000 in total.
