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.
Claims tide to trigger 10% premium hike for 2010 indemnity renewal, warns broker
A rising tide of claims against solicitors and a huge increase in the number of firms falling into the assigned risks pool means law firms should prepare for a 10% jump in professional indemnity premiums this year, broker Lockton has warned.
Report: LPO industry to triple in size by 2015
The legal process outsourcing (LPO) market is set to triple in size over the next five years, driven almost exclusively by US and UK lawyers, it has been predicted. Research and analytics firm Evalueserve said the need to become more efficient because of the Legal Services Act and specifically alternative business structures “is expected to boost the LPO industry” in the UK.
City solicitor completes new MoJ line-up
The ministerial line-up at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has been completed with the appointment of a solicitor and non-lawyer as parliamentary under-secretaries. Jonathan Djanogly, until last year a partner of City law firm SJ Berwin, has been joined by one-time soldier Crispin Blunt as the MoJ’s junior ministers.
Susskind backs Camerons’ £600m outsourcing deal
Legal process outsourcing reached a new level today after City firm CMS Cameron McKenna signed a 10-year, £583 million deal with Integreon for its “middle office” services, which it claims is the largest ever deal in the legal market and has received the endorsement of Professor Richard Susskind.
Solicitor banned over boiler room adverts
The Financial Services and Markets Tribunal has upheld a Financial Services Authority (FSA) decision permanently banning a solicitor from working in any capacity in financial services and fining him and the FSA-regulated law firm of which he is senior partner, £400,000.
Big rise in solicitors struck off and firms shut
There has been a sharp increase in the numbers of law firms closed and solicitors struck off, Legal Futures has discovered. Figures from the Solicitors Regulation Authority show it intervened in 31% more firms in the year to 31 March 2010, while there was a 58% jump in strike-offs by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
The ethical lawyer
Anna Buttimore, administrator of lawyers’ support charity LawCare, considers the stresses that finding yourself in an ethical dilemma – such as blowing the whistle on possible wrongdoing at your firm – can cause and where to seek help.
Doing your duty
This week’s Question of Ethics from the Solicitors Regulation Authority looks at whether there are circumstances in which you can decline to comply with your client’s instructions.
