Competence

The Court of Appeal’s ruling in the Levicom case involving City firm Linklaters last week “will be of concern for City firms and their insurers”, a leading professional indemnity lawyer has warned.

Lawyers should undergo five-yearly competence testing, as well as face peer review of the advice they provide clients, the chairwoman of the Legal Services Consumer Panel has said.

Insurance mediation does not sound like the kind of thing solicitors do, but in fact many are involved in it and their knowledge of the rules around it are often sketchy. Alan Bannister of Vizards Wyeth outlines the main issues.