Call for clarity over compliance officers that all firms need to appoint this year
The Solicitors Regulation Authority urgently needs to provide more guidance on the role of the compliance officer for legal practice (COLP), which every law firm will be required to have from October, a leading legal regulation specialist has warned.
Bid to create national law firm franchise
A bid to create the first solicitors franchise was launched this week. Face2Face Solicitors is initially aimed at small private client law firms and will provide franchisee solicitors with centralised back-office systems – including accounts, IT and regulatory compliance – and central marketing and business development, to enable them to focus on the legal work.
Former Law Society president joins LSB as SRA unveils 12.5% cut in staff numbers
Former Law Society president Ed Nally was today appointed to the Legal Services Board (LSB) to fill a vacancy that has been open for more than a year. Meanwhile, the Solicitors Regulation Authority is to cut around 80 jobs as it prepares for outcomes-focused regulation and the licensing of alternative business structures from 6 October 2011.
New challenge to Jackson: defendant delay costs six times more than other delay
Defendant action is a factor in at least one in four of delayed civil cases, and costs six times more than other causes of delay, the leading legal costs academic has claimed.
CMCs face cash-call after regulator suffers major budget shortfall
A shortfall in the funding of claims management company (CMC) regulation – due to escalating enforcement action and a contraction in the size of the industry – has led to a cash call this month on the 3,000-plus businesses in England and Wales.
Clarke told: implement Jackson and you will face human rights challenges
The government could face challenges under the Human Rights Act if it presses ahead with the Jackson reforms, a leading counsel’s opinion has warned. Nigel Pleming QC and Colin Thomann of 39 Essex Street said there are “real prospects” of a challenge because of the reforms’ impact on claimants with catastrophic injuries.
Council for Licensed Conveyancers is first to apply to become an ABS regulator
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) is on course to become the first body licensed to regulate alternative business structures, after submitting its application to the Legal Services Board. The CLC, which oversees 10-15% of the conveyancing market, has also applied to extend the range of reserved activities it regulates from conveyancing and probate to awarding rights of audience and the right to conduct litigation.
Exclusive: High-powered academic group slates Jackson
The Jackson proposals to abolish recoverability are fundamentally inconsistent with justice, skewed towards defendants, and likely to hurt serious injury victims the most, an influential group of law academics has said.
News in brief: Co-op expands legal arm, paralegals on the up and much more
Our weekly round-up of other news takes in further expansion at Co-operative Legal Services, two innovations on the paralegal front, “virtual” firms piloting the SRA’s relationship management, and a tricky decision for LSB chairman David Edmonds
Value of legal market continues to rise despite fall in fees at biggest firms
Smaller law firms have bucked the downward trend in fees income recorded by the biggest practices in the last couple of years, taking gross fees to a new record level, research released today has suggested. The report by TheCityUK found that the contribution of the legal services sector to the UK’s GDP has doubled in a decade to 1.8%.
