Market monitor

Simpson Millar made a pre-tax loss of £6.3m on a significantly reduced turnover last year – but its owner says the figures do not reflect the national law firm’s turnaround since.

The evidence supporting the counterclaim made against Slater & Gordon in its Quindell action easily passed the threshold for allowing it just weeks before the start of the trial, the High Court has ruled.

A new CMC offering free use of an automated system to handle post-April 2020 personal injury claims caught by the Civil Liability Act reforms has been launched by the founder of Claims Direct.

The alternative business structure run for National Accident Helpline by Cardiff-based NewLaw Solicitors has added £3m in profitability to the law firm, it emerged yesterday.

Leading alternative legal services provider Axiom Law has announced a “significant” investment from top private equity firm Permira, having previously indicated that it would list instead.

MedCo should be ready to provide medical reports for unrepresented litigants under the new RTA portal by next April, its chairman said today after the government confirmed it would have that role.

It is time to ditch the increase in the small claims limit for EL and PL cases and focus instead on delivering the RTA portal on time, the Association of British Insurers has said.

Colin Poole, the former chief executive of Claims Direct and a struck-off solicitor, has won a High Court battle with shareholders over an alleged £21m debt. Peter Carroll, a former franchisee and director of Claims Direct, sued Mr Poole for… Read More

Slater & Gordon is facing a multi-million pound counterclaim for allegedly using confidential information to reduce the amount it paid to buy Quindell’s professional services division.

The chief executive and chief financial officer of listed law firm DWF have been handed more than a million shares, subject to conditions, under the group’s equity incentive plan.

Lawyers are “rather arrogant”, “exploit young people” and resort to “deception” when charging for work, the head of an international employers group has said.

Consolidator Metamorph Law has made its second acquisition this year – and eighth in total in a little over three years – as several other mergers and acquisitions have also been unveiled.

A leading law firm specialising in payment protection insurance cases – one of which led to a landmark Supreme Court decision – has gone out of business.

Law firm consolidator AWH Legal – which says it plans £100m worth of acquisitions in the next two years – has made its first purchase outside of personal injury.

Current and former partners of what was Ince & Co have made claims of nearly £16m to its administrators.
However, there is no indication that these claims will be satisfied anywhere near in full.