OFR goes live with SRA reassurance that compliance officers are “not sacrifical lambs”
The new compliance officers required under outcomes-focused regulation – which begins today – “will not be sacrificial lambs for the sins of the organisations they work in”, the chief executive of the Solicitors Regulation Authority has stressed.
Ireland goes further than UK and unveils independent regulation of lawyers
The Republic of Ireland is to introduce completely independent regulation of the legal profession – and possibly fuse the solicitors’ and barristers’ professions – the Dublin government has announced. The reforms meet commitments given to the EU and IMF as part of the country’s financial bail-out.
Hockman: BSB risking future of Bar as separate branch of the profession
The Bar Standards Board’s move into entity regulation raises questions about the future of the Bar as a separate branch of the legal profession and could even lead to a solicitor heading the Bar, a former Bar Council chairman will warn this evening.
Big fall in number of law firms entering assigned risks pool
Just 53 law firms have failed to find professional indemnity insurance and so entered the assigned risks pool (ARP), provisional figures have shown. At the same stage last year, 409 firms had entered the ARP. Firms still have a month in which they can find secure insurance and backdate it to 1 October.
In-deed seeing “encouraging” signs from modified business model
Online conveyancing business In-deed has seen “encouraging” signs from the introduction of telesales staff to help convert quotes into instructions for its panel law firms, it has told the Stock Exchange. The company has had to alter its plan to operate solely online.
Solicitor takes campaign to doors of SRA after winning first round of court battle
A solicitor will take his campaign against the Solicitors Regulation Authority for shutting down his practice to its front door on Wednesday with a protest outside of its Redditch headquarters. It follows the SRA’s failed attempt to strike out his High Court action seeking damages.
Why brand is the new “must-have” in legal services
Pearse McCabe of brand and digital agency Rufus Leonard explains how important branding will become in the post-ABS world and considers some of the key issues that traditional law firms need to look at in response.
Number of solicitor applications for probate continues to slide
The number of solicitor applications for a grant of probate has fallen for the fourth year running, down 30% since 2006, although the drop slowed last year, indicating perhaps that greater competition in the probate market is making itself felt.
ARP firms shut down as SRA warns of uninsured practices continuing to operate
Almost a quarter of law firms in the assigned risks pool had already decided to close a week before the renewal deadline, while the Solicitors Regulation Authority has flagged up the “serious risk” of other firms practising without insurance.
Manchester law firm launches lawyer-to-lawyer referral network
Around 50 law firms in the north-west have signed up to a new scheme from Manchester practice JMW aimed at lawyer-to-lawyer referrals. Lawshare offers firms in the network a 7-10% profit share for every case referred to JMW.
