Fine for first solicitor taken to court by LeO – but judge says prison may be right for others
A solicitor has for the first time been fined by the High Court for failing to co-operate with an investigation by the Legal Ombudsman. The High Court used the case to stress that such failures could also lead to immediate imprisonment.
Profit margins slide at big firms as ABSs hove into view
Profit margins among all but the elite of the top 100 law firms have dropped significantly over the past five years, new research has revealed, with the introduction of alternative business structures set to pressure them even more.
Law Society to launch flexible working campaign
The Law Society is to launch a campaign aimed at moving flexible working – for both women and men – “into the mainstream of employment practice in law practices”. It has identified “buy-in” at senior partner level as the key challenge.
Ombudsman should have jurisdiction over will-writers and not-for-profits, says report
The Legal Ombudsman should press to extend its jurisdiction to complaints about non-lawyer will-writers and the not-for-profit sector, while the government needs to review its inadequate powers over complaints against CMCs, a study has recommended.
Defendant insurers and lawyers lobby over referral fee ban “loopholes”
A group of insurers and their lawyers lobbied former justice secretary Jack Straw last week as part of a bid to close “loopholes” in the proposed referral fee ban. They have also questioned whether the Claims Management Regulator will be willing to enforce the ban.
The Bar through a generational lens
Ian Dodd considers the background and motivations of the four ‘generations’ of barristers currently populating the Bar, from the ‘Veterans’ to Generation Y, and says chambers would do well to ensure that all are properly involved in their management.
Law Society and SRA unveil deal to resolve longstanding governance wrangling
The Law Society and Solicitors Regulation Authority have hammered out “a permanent resolution” of their long-running internal governance issues, the pair announced yesterday, ensuring regulation is independent from representation at Chancery Lane.
New business with cash to spend enters litigation funding market as Allianz pulls out
A new third-party litigation funder has entered the market with “deep pockets” as one of the early players bows out, Legal Futures can report. Managed Legal Solutions has £20m of funding and will even back ancillary relief cases.
SRA: BME solicitors face increasingly disproportionate number of conduct complaints
The proportion of black and minority ethnic solicitors (BME) named in complaints about conduct to the Solicitors Regulation Authority surged last year, the third year in which the figure has risen. BME solicitors comprised 27% of all conduct complaints.
The big partnership debate: leave it in the past or embrace it for the future?
Is partnership an “inefficient and unattractive” structure that should be ditched to survive in the new legal marketplace, or is it a viable current model with much to offer lawyers wanting flexible governance and discretion? Both sides were put at a conference this week.
