Tag Results
Legal Services Board plan risks “outing” gay staff, warns Stonewall
Friday, 20 May 2011Lesbian, gay and bisexual lawyers and staff could be inadvertently “outed” as a result of the Legal Services Board’s plans to increase diversity in the workplace, leading campaign group Stonewall has warned. The charity strongly supported monitoring the sexual orientation of staff but said the board needs to find another way of doing it.
Tags: equality and diversity, Legal Services Board
Posted in hrtraining, Legal Services Board, News, Regulation
Referral fee ban is “back on the government’s agenda”
Thursday, 19 May 2011A ban on referral fees is back on the Ministry of Justice’s agenda, a government adviser revealed yesterday. However, Mark Boleat told the Claims Standards Council conference in Manchester that he believed the arguments against a ban are “compelling”.
Tags: Jackson report, Legal Services Board, personal injury, referral fees
Posted in News, Solicitors
Openness and transparency, LSB style
Tuesday, 17 May 2011I have written before about the Legal Services Board’s approach to transparency – it demands much of those it regulates but getting information from the board is not quite so easy.
Tags: Law Society, Legal Services Board
Posted in Blog
Price comparison websites and “single regulatory badge” face LSB quality probe
Friday, 13 May 2011The role of price comparison and customer review websites are set to come under scrutiny from the Legal Services Board as part of efforts to help consumers judge the technical quality of the legal advice they receive. It will also consider whether a “badge” would distinguish regulated and non-regulated providers.
Tags: Legal Services Board, Legal Services Consumer Panel
Posted in Consumer panel, Legal Services Board, News, Regulation
Council for Licensed Conveyancers wins approval to become first ABS regulator
Wednesday, 11 May 2011The Legal Services Board yesterday approved the Council for Licensed Conveyancers’ application to become the first licensing authority for alternative business structures, despite the opposition of the Lord Chief Justice.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, Council for Licensed Conveyancers, Legal Serivces Consumer Panel, Legal Services Board, Office of Fair Trading, reserved legal activities
Posted in Alternative business structures, Legal Services Board, News, Other lawyers
Goodbye SDT? Legal Services Board sets sights on “rationalising” disciplinary regimes
Tuesday, 10 May 2011The Legal Services Board is considering whether to consolidate the disciplinary regimes run by all the different legal regulators, it has emerged. Recent events “suggest we should explore the feasibility of rationalising existing mechanisms sooner rather than later”.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, Legal Services Board, Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, Solicitors Regulation Authority
Posted in Barristers, Legal Executives, Legal Services Board, News, Regulation, Solicitors
Consumer watchdog gives SRA’s ABS application green light – with reservations
Monday, 9 May 2011The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s application to become a licensing body for alternative business structures has been endorsed by the Legal Services Board’s consumer watchdog, but with reservations. The Legal Services Consumer Panel expressed disappointment that some recommendations it made during consultations were not adopted.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, Legal Services Board, Legal Services Consumer Panel, OFR, outcomes-focused regulation, Solicitors Code of Conduct, Solicitors Handbook, Solicitors Regulation Authority
Posted in Alternative business structures, Consumer panel, News
LSB reappoints legal advisers panel
Thursday, 28 April 2011City firm Hogan Lovells and 39 Essex Street chambers have retained their roles as general legal advisers to the Legal Services Board. The pair, as well as five specialist providers, have been reappointed following an internal review on their existing terms and rates until 31 March 2012.
Tags: Legal Services Board
Posted in Legal Services Board, News
SRA poised to mystery shop conveyancing firms over fees and publicity
Thursday, 21 April 2011The Solicitors Regulation Authority could “mystery shop” conveyancing firms to check whether their costs information and publicity about charges are misleading, it has revealed. At the same time, the Legal Services Board announced that it is to consider a major review of conveyancing.
Tags: conveyancing, Legal Services Board, mortgage fraud, referral fees, reserved legal activities, Solicitors Regulation Authority, will-writing
Posted in News, Solicitors
LSB chief defends right to step in and push regulators – it's not "mission creep"
Friday, 15 April 2011The Legal Services Board has an “absolute right” to intervene whenever it believes frontline regulators are dragging their heels, such as acting to improve diversity, the Legal Services Board chairman, David Edmonds, told the Legal Futures conference.
Tags: ABS, advocacy, Alternative business structures, Legal Services Act, Legal Services Board, referral fees, reserved legal activities
Posted in Legal Services Board, News, Regulation
Blog
On good authority? GenAI and the reputational risks to law firms
As GenAI’s influence grows, so do the risks which are already playing out in courtrooms across England and Wales, where some early adopters are setting precedents they would rather not.
Why this is the year for law firms to embrace generative AI
After more than a year of pilots, proofs of value and early experimentation, firms are increasingly embedding AI into day-to-day workflows.
Client account interest is not spare change
The proposed Interest on Lawyers’ Client Accounts scheme is being framed as a sensible, international, “tried and tested” way for the profession to help fund a justice system under strain.
