SRA claims reforms will help ease uncertainty for law firms post-Brexit Kathryn McCann The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is claiming that reforms on regulation to open up the market, increase competition and focus…
Here we go again: Law Society to splash £61m on new IT systems after joint project fails Legal Business The Law Society, which has overseen several IT failures in the last decade, has agreed to spend £61m on new…
‘Simpler and better’: CMA calls for more competition but stops short of recommending full legal services review Legal Business An interim report into the legal services market released by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has found that competition…
The Brexit effect: Law Society urges government to delay plans to separate from SRA after EU vote Legal Business Due to the uncertainty and economic volatility stoked by last week’s shock Brexit vote, the Law Society has told MPs…
‘Right not to rush’: SRA extends consultation over super-exam for trainees Legal Business The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has acknowledged strong opposition as it extends its consultation on its controversial plans to introduce…
From offshore to Big Law: the Panama Papers’ lasting imprint on the legal landscape Legal Business Tom Moore argues profession must deal with changing attitudes on tax and reputation The offshore market is being redrawn following…
Report hits out at Freshfields and SRA involvement in ScottishPower scandal Legal Business Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) have been criticised in a parliamentary report into ScottishPower’s ‘cashback guarantee’…
Bar regulator gets green light to approve alternative business structures Legal Business The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has gained approval from the Legal Services Board (LSB) to become a licensing authority for…
The battle within: Risk management and professional indemnity survey 2016 Legal Business With cyber risk exploding and storm clouds over the economy, it’s harder than ever to balance risk with commercial realities.…
Guest post: Why the SRA’s education reforms inhibit innovation Legal Business This response to the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) Consultation on training tomorrow’s solicitors is a personal one. I am afraid…
A matter of influence: FCA to consult on policing in-house lawyers under Senior Managers Regime Legal Business The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has launched a consultation on whether in-house lawyers need to be policed under the watchdog’s…
Comment: Big picture, big mess – familiar turf wars as the legal education debate drags on Legal Business Legal education reform. First principles. Root and branch. It was ever thus. Attending the Westminster Legal Policy Forum (WLPF) seminar…
SRA proposes standardised final examination for all prospective solicitors Legal Business The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has announced plans to introduce a new unified exam for assessing trainee solicitors.
Law Society wants pilot scheme ahead of proposed court closures Legal Business The Law Society said it wants the government to test the use of public buildings for court hearings before it…
Guest post: Making the case to regulate third-party funding – badly Legal Business The US Chamber of Commerce, scarred by the American litigation culture, has long been spreading the word about the pain…
Regulators look to cut ABS red tape in Legal Services Act reform push Legal Business The Legal Services Board, along with the other legal sector regulators, has published suggestions to reform the Legal Services Act…
The ABS triangle – regulators, consumers and investors Legal Business Baker Tilly’s George Bull analyses the changing market. The recent initial public offering (IPO) of full-service English law firm Gateley…
Solicitors set to own non-regulated businesses after watchdog levels ‘the playing field’ with ABSs Legal Business The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has decided to relax the Separate Business Rule, allowing law firms to own outside businesses…
‘We’re gutted’: Law Society loses appeal over government’s controversial legal aid reforms Jaishree Kalia The Law Society has lost an appeal over controversial government reforms which will introduce a tendering process for 527 contracts…
Reassessments: Bar Standards Board asks QCA to look at re-accreditation for QCs Legal Business As the on-going dispute over its Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) rumbles on, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) has…
