Good news for lawyers as Court of Appeal rules on negligence limitation period
The Court of Appeal has once again declined to follow the landmark House of Lords ruling in Sephton when deciding when the limitation period starts running for the purposes of a professional negligence claim. It is a decision hailed as good news for lawyers.
Wood: LSB chief wrong to see disconnect between legal education and practice
Legal Services Board chairman David Edmonds is wrong to say there is a “disconnect” between legal education and legal practice, it was claimed last week by the man who has systematically reviewed the Bar’s education and training regime.
Planning to launch your ABS on 6 October? Think again as Kenny admits delay is likely
It is highly unlikely that the Solicitors Regulation Authority will be able to license alternative business structures on 6 October, Legal Futures can reveal. Legal Services Board chief executive Chris Kenny has admitted to us that getting the required orders through Parliament in time is looking “not impossible but very difficult”.
PC fee to fall as SRA takes steps to ensure ABSs cannot “manipulate” turnover
The practising certificate fee is set to fall by 16.7% to £350 in the coming year, it has emerged. The news comes as the Solicitors Regulation Authority should tomorrow approve provisions that will allow it to amend an alternative business structure’s turnover figure – upon which the SRA’s fees will be based – if it feels the number does not reflect the true value of the legal services provided.
LSB: no blanket ban on referral fees, but individual regulators can still introduce one
There should be no general ban on referral fees, but individual frontline regulators are free to impose one for their part of the legal market if they can justify it, the Legal Services Board has concluded. It said transparency needs improving but there is little evidence of “actual or potential harm”.
Top employment law advisers found to have unfairly dismissed legal staff
A leading supplier of outsourced employment law services to thousands of businesses has itself been found to have unfairly dismissed three legal staff after failing to follow proper redundancy procedures.
Costs judges slated Jackson reforms in government consultation, AJAG reveals
The seemingly unanimous support among the judiciary for the Jackson reforms was shattered yesterday after it emerged that three costs judges oppose them. Masters Campbell, Haworth and Leonard put forward their own, less radical blueprint to reform the costs regime.
PI solicitors will not abandon claimants under my reforms, says bullish Jackson
Solicitors will not abandon large swathes of personal injury claimants if they are paid less than now, Lord Justice Jackson has predicted in a sharp retort to a much-publicised report which slated his recommendations for reform of the civil costs system.
Kinsella questions whether national law firm networks can deliver consistent service
The chief executive of national law firm Russell Jones & Walker has questioned the ability of large solicitors’ consortiums to provide clients with a consistent service across the board. Neil Kinsella stressed the importance of independence and consistency.
Survey: 3m people have used CFAs in last five years but Jackson will price many out
Almost three million people have used ‘no win, no fee’ agreements in the past five years but the government’s proposed reforms of the system will mean they are no longer an option for many people, major research released today has claimed.
