Law firms losing out on Internet searches
Just four law firms featured in the top 60 most visible websites returned when people searched legal terms used Google, research has discovered. An analysis of the 1.2 million searches for legal terms in February found Irwin Mitchell the highest-ranking law firm at 12th, followed by Merseyside personal injury firm Camps (21st), home counties firm Brethertons (48th) and Fentons, a PI firm in London and Manchester (53rd).
Beyond the ale
This week’s Question of Ethics from the Solicitors Regulation Authority looks at whether tacky advertising by your competitor can bring the profession into disrepute.
Tougher line on negligence is worry to law firms, says insurance specialist
The Court of Appeal’s ruling in the Levicom case involving City firm Linklaters last week “will be of concern for City firms and their insurers”, a leading professional indemnity lawyer has warned.
Djanogly thrust into heart of legal debate
Solicitor Jonathan Djanogly has been given the task of overseeing legal services, legal aid and civil justice policy. This puts him at the heart of many of the key issues facing the profession at the moment, such as alternative business structures, referral fees, legal aid reform and implementing the Jackson report.
2010 – a defining year for law firms
Chris Marston, Head of Professional Practices at Lloyds TSB Commercial, assesses solicitors’ prospects in a year of change and transition on the regulatory, competition, economic and political fronts
QualitySolicitors launches branded high street network
The first effort to build a nationwide network of branded high street solicitors begins today with the opening of 15 branches under the QualitySolicitors name. Firms in the QualitySolicitors’s existing 200-strong network – such as Burroughs Day in Bristol and Howlett Clarke in Brighton – will launch their new branding over the next week with the help of various celebrities
Marketing cull limits website changes
Though websites have a number of uses – marketing, PR, client services etc – that often demand regular redevelopment, the pace of change in the legal sector has slowed. Intendance’s Fast Fifty 2010 Update can reveal that only eight law firm websites that featured in last year’s Fast Fifty report have changed.
Exclusive: barristers want to conduct litigation and join forces with solicitors
A majority of barristers think they should be able to conduct litigation whether they are working inside “entities”, such as law firms, or whether they are self-employed, according to emerging findings from the Bar Standards Board’s survey of the profession. There was also a majority in favour of extending public access.
New Guardian law section
The Guardian has a new law section of its website, on which Legal Futures has a weekly column, while we also had an article on professional indemnity in last week’s Times law section.
LSB research: referral fees do not harm consumers – and can save them money
Referral fees in personal injury and conveyancing do not harm consumers and so there is no case to ban them or take any other regulatory action, a major piece of research released today has concluded. In fact, it found that referral fees actually result in cheaper conveyancing fees and improved access to justice for injured people.
