Practice Management

Profits were up last year and confidence is buoyant for the coming year among small and medium-sized law firms, according to a major benchmarking survey. Nine out of 10 firms surveyed thought profits would increase during 2014.

Manchester firm Linder Myers has avoided administration by completing a deal which will see the firm refinance its debts and appoint a chief executive to lead the practice.

A global law firm has been knocked back by a judge quoting Karl Marx, after seeking a waiver from the Isle of Man Law Society’s indemnity insurance requirements.

A website that connects the public directly with barristers is the latest legal business to seek crowdfunding after it launched a bid to raise £150,000 in expansion capital. The site, myBarrister, wants to sign up 1,000 barristers by the end of the year.

A groundbreaking online dispute resolution (ODR) service is gearing up for live trials of its expanded 2.0 version, which will initially offer an end-to-end legal support package for divorcing couples.

The Chancellor George Osborne yesterday confirmed that there would be no delay in introducing the changes to the way LLPs are taxed, which has left many firms seeking funding for capital contributions.

Solicitors have been warned to be on alert for scam e-mails that appear to come from the Law Society and have attachments that potentially contain a virus. It follows the recent phishing attack using e-mails that looked as though the SRA had sent them.

A significant earnings gap has opened up between solicitors working in the south of England and those in the North in a surprise reversal of fortunes, according to a survey. It also found the gender pay gap widening, with women’s salaries averaging 30% less than men’s.

The Treasury has said last week’s House of Lords committee report calling for partnership tax changes to be delayed was already out-of-date, and confirmed they would come into force next month as planned.

The president of the Supreme Court, Lord Neuberger, has thrown his weight behind career judges as a way of improving diversity in the judiciary. He also bemoaned companies that choose to instruct “obsessive, testosterone-driven men rather than balanced, sensible women”.

Leading London law firm Withers has been ordered to pay £1.6m in damages after the High Court upheld a claim of professional negligence over the drafting of an LLP agreement.

An influential House of Lords committee has added its voice to calls for the government to delay its partnership tax reforms until 2015, so as to allow LLPs time to adjust to the changes.

Innovative legal practice Radiant Law has moved to an in-sourcing model for some of its work by opening an office in South Africa last week – while also applying for an alternative business structure licence to enable a leading retailer to become its chairman.

A barrister has failed in his judicial review of a decision of the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) that he did not deal with a complaint properly. LeO has welcomed the ruling for setting the bar high when challenging its decisions.

A law firm which offers personal injury claimants a £2,000 up-front payment has been told to make it clear to potential clients that the offer is subject to significant qualifications, after a complaint about one of its television adverts was upheld.