News

The seemingly unanimous support among the judiciary for the Jackson reforms was shattered yesterday after it emerged that three costs judges oppose them. Masters Campbell, Haworth and Leonard put forward their own, less radical blueprint to reform the costs regime.

Solicitors will not abandon large swathes of personal injury claimants if they are paid less than now, Lord Justice Jackson has predicted in a sharp retort to a much-publicised report which slated his recommendations for reform of the civil costs system.

The chief executive of national law firm Russell Jones & Walker has questioned the ability of large solicitors’ consortiums to provide clients with a consistent service across the board. Neil Kinsella stressed the importance of independence and consistency.

Almost three million people have used ‘no win, no fee’ agreements in the past five years but the government’s proposed reforms of the system will mean they are no longer an option for many people, major research released today has claimed.

In-deed, the new online conveyancing business, could use the cash it raises from an AIM listing to inject capital into its panel law firms, it has emerged. The company hopes to float next month, with a market capitalisation projected at around £9m.

The Bar Standards Board has approved the latest version of guidance on “signposting” requirements to notify lay clients of their rights to complain about poor service. It hopes the new formula will satisfy both disgruntled barristers and the Legal Services Board.

Lawyers are warming to the use of social media in their practices but have reservations about risks associated with cloud computing, according to a major survey of law firm IT personnel. Three-quarters of the 712 specialists surveyed said they felt positive about social media as a tool to deliver value to their firms.

The founder of property website Rightmove enters the law today with the intention of making his online conveyancing service the market leader within three years, Legal Futures can reveal. It is being marketed on the basis of service quality, rather than price.

Every partner in a law firm is now expected to be a “rainmaker”, yet those who show the most talent for winning clients can be a disruptive influence, a panel of senior commercial lawyers has concluded.

The minimum number of continuing professional development (CPD) hours barristers have to spend each year will double to 24, if reforms adopted yesterday by the Bar Standards Board receive a green light from the profession. The move is the latest in a series of CPD reforms across the professions.