LSB: no ban on referral fees but publish all agreements with introducers
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has confirmed that it does not back reinstating the ban on referral fees but said that instead all agreements between lawyers and their introducers should be published. As first reported on Legal Futures last month, the LSB said today that there is insufficient evidence to make the case for a ban, but that transparency and disclosure need to be improved. It also said there should be the same rules for the different parts of the regulated legal market so far as possible.
Mayson: lawyers have lost touch with what clients want and need to rethink cost base
Too many lawyers have lost touch with what clients are really looking for and need to do more to create value for their clients, legal strategy expert Stephen Mayson has claimed. He also argued that major law firms need to rethink their cost base as “stripping out cost, based on the traditional ways of working, has gone about as far as it can”.
Barristers seek carve-outs from telling clients about complaints procedures
Barristers need some carve-outs from the requirements to tell clients about their complaints procedure, the Legal Services Board is to be told. The Bar Standards Board suggests that the drafters did not understand the realities of barristers’ practice.
Law Society launches “SafetyNet” for firms struggling to find indemnity insurance
The Law Society and broker PYV have today launched a scheme designed to assist law firms which are having difficulty securing professional indemnity insurance renewal terms by working to improve their risk profile.
The future of criminal legal aid practice? The one-stop shop barrister/solicitor LDP
It is “absolutely inevitable” that criminal legal aid practices will need to morph into a cross between a solicitors’ firm and barristers’ chambers, one of the founders of a groundbreaking firm in the north-east of England has claimed.
BSB unveils blueprint to become specialist regulator of advocacy businesses
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) will become a specialist regulator of entities providing advocacy services, if proposals set out today are approved. Under the plans, BSB-regulated entities could not have passive investors, would need a majority of managers who can practise as advocates in the higher courts, and could only have a maximum of either 10% or 25% of non-lawyer managers.
Law Society calls in Equality Commission to bring indemnity insurers into line
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is host a meeting between the Law Society, black and minority ethnic solicitors, and professional indemnity insurers in a bid to agree a plan of action to improve insurers’ equality practices. It was called in after the Law Society judged insurers’ response to examples of alleged discrimination in the 2009 renewal process to be “wholly inadequate”.
The mainstream revolutionary, part 2
The second part of our interview with Professor Richard Susskind on the publication of an updated edition of his book, The End of Lawyers?, looks at ABSs, the threat of legal publishers entering legal services, and why he is next training his sights on the professions generally.
Djanogly fires the starting gun on ABSs and has no plans to delay them
The Cabinet’s reducing regulation committee has given alternative business structures (ABSs) the green light and they will happen on 6 October 2011, justice minister Jonathan Djanogly confirmed today. Mr Djanogly said “no one should be under the illusion that I wish to delay ABS introduction, and all lawyers should be preparing for its introduction”.
Consumer panel launches will-writing probe as LSB tries to find £110K for key research
The will-writing debate moved towards the end-game today after the Legal Services Consumer Panel launched its investigation into whether the industry should be regulated. However, the Legal Services Board is currently trying to secure £110,000 in funding for the panel to undertake market research.
