Alternative business structures
Self-insurance ABS plans overseas expansion within global group
A niche ABS owned by a global insurance giant plans to take its service advising large companies on self-insurance schemes to other countries in which its parent operates.
Florida becomes latest state to move towards allowing ABSs
Florida has become the latest American state to move towards allowing alternative business structures, while British Columbia has launched a regulatory sandbox to encourage innovation in Canada.
LegalZoom uses ABS to bypass US ban on employing lawyers
US legal services giant LegalZoom is bypassing the domestic ban on non-law firms practising law by employing US lawyers through its UK alternative business structure, it has emerged.
Shoosmiths spins debt practice into joint venture ABS
National law firm Shoosmiths has spun its debt recovery practice into an alternative business structure joint venture with collections, recoveries and enforcement company Chartsbridge.
Firm merges clinical negligence team with barrister-led ABS
National law firm Devonshires has merged its clinical negligence department with barrister-led firm PI Law Direct to create Devonshires Claims, a specialist clinical negligence and personal injury practice.
Dispersed US firm launches in UK with big ambitions
US dispersed law firm Rimon has entered the UK market as an alternative business structure, with plans to expand rapidly and challenge the likes of Keystone Law and gunnercooke.
Top Chinese firm eyes non-lawyer partners with ABS move
A leading Chinese law firm has converted its London operation into an alternative business structure with a view to bringing non-lawyer partners on board. It is already in talks with some.
Legal Services Act has delivered “limited benefits to competition”
The Legal Services Act 2007 has only delivered “a few of the benefits typically associated with deregulation”, a report by Boston Consulting Group has concluded.
Irwin Mitchell tipped for £500m stock market listing – again
National consumer giant Irwin Mitchell is planning a stock market float valuing the law firm at £500m, according to press reports at the weekend. It could happen this year, said Sky News.
Covid hits revenue and profits at Co-op Legal Services
Revenue and profits at Co-operative Legal Services fell as a result of coronavirus but case volumes grew during last year, its annual results have shown.
PII increase “makes case” for running unregulated practice alongside ABS
A legal business that uniquely runs both a regulated and unregulated practice says a 220% increase in the cost of its professional indemnity insurance justifies the way it operates.
Acquisition no12 for Knights amid activity at insurance ABSs
Listed law firm Knights continued its consolidation play yesterday by announcing a £5.3m deal to buy Surrey firm Mundays, as we also report on activity at two insurance-led ABSs.
ABSs become a reality in America as Arizona approves the first two
America now has its first two alternative business structures, approved in the state of Arizona, to go alongside an increasing variety of businesses in a regulatory sandbox in Utah.
Listed company buys specialist employment law ABS
A specialist alternative business structure has been bought by a listed company to boost its fast-growing national employment law business and compete with traditional law firms.
Former presidential adviser joins ABS with eye on Brexit benefits
A unique alternative business structure that combines legal and political advice has unveiled a former economic adviser to President GW Bush as its latest high-profile hire.
Blog
The rise of the agent
We believe AI agents are going to represent the biggest change to the way in which the general public interact with professional services business for generations.
The lonely role of a COFA: sharing the burden of risk management
Compliance officers for finance and administration in law firms can often find themselves walking a solitary path. But what if we could create a collaborative culture of shared accountability?
Mind the (justice) gap: Why are RTAs going up but claims still down?
The gap between the number of road traffic accident injuries and the number of motor injury claims continues to widen, according to the latest government data.
Reports
Associates
