Law Society to revive annual conference
The Law Society is to resuscitate its annual conference next year, hoping to attract at least 300 people to Celtic Manor in Wales and make a decent profit from it. The conference was stopped several years ago because it was losing money.
QualitySolicitors hits the big time as PE investor buys majority stake
QualitySolicitors has received a major cash injection that will accelerate the nationwide expansion of its brand, after private equity house Palamon Capital Partners took a majority stake. The plan is to have over 1,000 branches by the end of next year.
Government rejects profession’s call for convictions check on all ABS partners
The government has rejected a call from the legal profession that partners in alternative business structures should have to disclose all convictions and cautions, even if spent. But the SRA is still on track to start licensing ABSs in early 2012.
Law Society recognises Legal365 for helping firm be “ready to compete”
The law firm behind Legal365 – the online legal service that is set to expand into a chain of city-centre high street shops – last night received the Law Society award for excellence in innovation. Last Cawthra Feather was recognised for a service that is “ready to compete in the new emerging legal services market”.
RJW unveils plan to extend Claims Direct brand beyond personal injury
National law firm Russell Jones & Walker is planning to extend its personal injury brand Claims Direct into other areas of law, the firm has revealed. It is looking at areas such as employment and family law, wills and possibly conveyancing.
Big brands will have “huge advantage” because they know their customers
Big brand entrants to the legal market will have a “huge advantage” because of their vast client databases, the Chief Legal Ombudsman has warned. Adam Sampson said new entrants have an acute awareness how to utilise their existing clientele.
Seven major brands set to enter legal market, Legal Futures Conference hears
At least seven major brands will be launching high-profile campaigns to enter the UK legal services market in the next year, it has been revealed. Meanwhile, an investor is to assist a claims management company acquire several law firms.
Barristers instructed online through groundbreaking motoring offence website
A solicitor has launched a groundbreaking website that provides people charged with motoring offences a free online diagnosis of their case, backed up by the option of instructing a barrister to represent them at the hearing at the click of a button, Legal Futures can reveal.
Ministry of Justice “admits” to major problems with banning referral fees
There are a range of “practical and policy problems” with banning referral fees, a leaked Ministry of Justice memo has admitted. The document was revealed at yesterday’s Legal Futures conference by Andy Wigmore of the Claims Standards Council.
Regan: no doubt Jackson will come into force but how will “twitchy” solicitors react?
There is “no scintilla of doubt” that the Jackson reforms will be implemented but “twitchy solicitors” may play into the hands of civil servants by charging lower success fees – or even no success fees at all – as a result, a leading costs expert has said.
