Solicitor pays out for poor costs information in first ever ombudsman decision
The Legal Ombudsman service has issued its first formal decision, it has emerged. The first case to go all the way through to a final decision by an ombudsman concerned a complaint over delay and whether the costs were explained clearly.
ABSs to face fines of up to £150m
Alternative business structures face a fine up of to £150 million for misconduct or non-compliance, with a figure of £50 million for individuals working within them, under plans released by the Legal Services Board (LSB). The LSB said such large figures “will have strong deterrence in the market and avoid situations where any entity or individual may consider ‘pricing in’ non-compliance”.
Crackdown on PI advertising begins
The crackdown on personal injury advertising started today as the Ministry of Justice unveiled plans to ban inducements to bring a claim. The current rules for claims management companies only ban the offer of “immediate” cash payments or similar benefits, but a consultation issued today proposes extending that to all inducements for making a claim.
SRA and BSB set to launch “legal services stakeholder network”
The Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Bar Standards Board are set to launch a “legal services stakeholder network”, to give the public a direct say in how legal services are regulated, Legal Futures can reveal.
Anti-Jackson campaign grows amid warning of “monopoly” legal services suppliers
Twelve law firms have so far joined claims management companies and legal expenses insurers in the campaign to oppose implementation of the Jackson reforms. The Access to Justice Action Group has already begun lobbying MPs, and also told the justice select committee that the impact of the reforms on solicitors could lead to monopoly suppliers of personal injury legal services. It has also emerged that some restrictions on personal injury advertising are in the offing.
The salaried partner is dead. Long live the fixed-share partner
In the wake of the recent ruling that a fixed-share partner is a partner, not an employee, Mark Briegal of Legal Futures Associate Ralli looks at the advantages to both law firm and lawyer of a fixed share over a salary
Elite firms pass over good candidates whose accents are not “smart” enough, says study
Some elite London law firms are passing over well-qualified, white working-class job applicants in favour of middle-class graduates from elite universities who they think they are better for their image, new research says. The firms studied had successfully recruited ethnic minority candidates as part of diversity programmes, but rejected able working-class students because their appearance or accent was not thought “smart” enough.
Australia’s “other” listed law firm resumes acquisition programme
The Australian legal business consolidator Integrated Legal Holdings, one of the country’s (and world’s) two stock exchange-listed law firms, has resumed its acquisitions programme almost two years after its last merger.
BSB to give barristers greater media freedom, and introduce “unregistered barristers”
Barristers should be allowed to give their own opinions to the media in cases in which they are involved, the Bar Standards Board is to recommend. It is also set to introduce the term “unregistered barrister” to denote a barrister without a practicing certificate who is providing unreserved legal services to the public or small businesses.
Bar regulator attacks LSB for overlooking risk of abuse in lawyer-to-lawyer referrals
The Bar’s regulator has blasted the Legal Services Board for not doing enough to avoid the risk of abuse by solicitors of lawyer-to-lawyer referrals – and warned that they may fall foul of the 2010 Bribery Act.
