Tag Results
Board hikes maximum ABS fine to £250m
Tuesday, 1 March 2011The maximum fine for misdemeanours by alternative business structures should be £250m, the Legal Services Board has decided, having considered the amounts of money made by some law firms out of miners’ compensation claims.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, Legal Services Act, Legal Services Board, Solicitors Regulation Authority
Posted in Alternative business structures, Legal Services Board, News
Claims company reveals plan to become ABS
Monday, 28 February 2011A car accident claims manager has revealed its intention to become an alternative business structure, Legal Futures can report. Hampshire-based Vamco, which specialises in repair management and credit hire, is planning to take over a branch office of Nesbit Law Group, which is currently located in the same building under the name Kingsley Law.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, claims management companies
Posted in Alternative business structures, Market monitor, News, Solicitors
Appeals decision threatens prospect of SRA becoming an ABS licensing authority
Sunday, 27 February 2011The Legal Services Board is pressing ahead with plans to make the new regulatory chamber of the First-tier Tribunal the sole venue for appeals against decisions made over ABSs, despite strong objections from solicitors. It is a move that could damage hopes that the Law Society council will next month approve the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s application to become an ABS licensing authority.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, Law Society, Legal Services Board
Posted in Alternative business structures, Legal Services Board, News, Solicitors
Davies & Gribbin prepares for the future with Proclaim
Friday, 25 February 2011Lancashire law firm Davies & Gribbin Solicitors has selected the Proclaim Practice Management software solution from Legal Futures Associate Eclipse for firm-wide rollout.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, Technology
Posted in Technology
SOS Connect helps Attwells focus on customer care
Friday, 25 February 2011Whether catering for high end clients from its office in St John’s Wood, north London, or serving the needs of the wider population from its Ipswich base, Attwells Solicitors LLP is determined to provide a modern, efficient service with the focus centred on customer care.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, Technology
Posted in Technology
LSB ramps up preparations for regulating ABSs directly
Wednesday, 23 February 2011A director of the Office of Fair Trading is heading a new committee to oversee the Legal Services Board’s contingency planning to regulate alternative business structures directly, Legal Futures can reveal.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, Legal Services Board
Posted in Alternative business structures, Legal Services Board, News
Mid-sized City firms likely to be main target of external investors, LSB to predict
Tuesday, 22 February 2011The Legal Services Board (LSB) believes that medium-sized City law firms are likely to be the primary targets for external investors, Legal Futures can reveal. It is one of the predictions in a draft impact assessment of alternative business structures that is still being worked on at the LSB.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, external investment, Legal Services Board, private equity
Posted in Alternative business structures, Market monitor, News
Minister behind ABSs warns over the threat they pose to legal ethics
Sunday, 20 February 2011Lord Falconer, who as Lord Chancellor steered the Legal Services Act through Parliament, last week warned about the challenges alternative business structures provide for “the preservation of legal ethics”.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, competition, ethics, external investment, legal education
Posted in Alternative business structures, Barristers, News
The eyes have it – the case for QualitySolicitors
Thursday, 17 February 2011QualitySolicitors chief executive Craig Holt explains why lawyers need their eyes testing if they underestimate the impact of the Legal Services Act, and how QS aims to build a 30-40% market share.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, QualitySolicitors
Posted in Alternative business structures, Market monitor, News
Bid to create national law firm franchise
Wednesday, 16 February 2011A bid to create the first solicitors franchise was launched this week. Face2Face Solicitors is initially aimed at small private client law firms and will provide franchisee solicitors with centralised back-office systems – including accounts, IT and regulatory compliance – and central marketing and business development, to enable them to focus on the legal work.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, QualitySolicitors
Posted in Alternative business structures, Market monitor, News