Tag Results
“Anything that doesn’t need a physical presence can be done offshore”
Thursday, 4 November 2010The second in a series of extracts from Climate Change, a report on the impact of the Legal Services Act published by accountants Baker Tilly, looks at the growing role of outsourcing both front and back-office work, and how far it could go.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, legal process outsourcing, LPO
Posted in News, Outsourcing
Sampson: ABSs put pressure on LeO to determine boundaries of its jurisdiction
Thursday, 4 November 2010The Legal Ombudsman service needs to work out the limits of its jurisdiction “and quickly”, as new business models emerge, chief ombudsman Adam Sampson has said. Mr Sampson said that with the pace of legal services reform accelerating and the legal services market “rapidly moving away from a reliance on the high street solicitor” and towards new providers entering the market “with very different business models”, it is very important to consumers that LeO is clear about what is and is not within its jurisdiction.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, complaints, Legal Ombudsman, LeO, Solicitors Regulation Authority
Posted in Client care, Legal Ombudsman, News, Regulation
Law Society sets down red lines marking out limits of its support for ABSs
Wednesday, 3 November 2010The Law Society has begun laying down the red lines beyond which it will not be able to support alternative business structures (ABSs), Legal Futures can reveal. The society’s regulatory affairs board has highlighted a variety of issues that it expects to see addressed if it is to judge the arrangements for ABSs satisfactory, including effective controls on the fitness to own of prospective external owners.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, fitness to own, MDP, multi-disciplinary practice, separate business rule
Posted in Alternative business structures, News, Solicitors
What would you do with £50m?
Tuesday, 2 November 2010The first of a series of extracts from Climate Change, a report on the impact of the Legal Services Act published by accountants Baker Tilly, considers what kinds of law firms and investors will be interested in taking advantage of alternative business structures. And just what would a big law firm do with a £50m cash injection?
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, external investment, Legal Services Act
Posted in Alternative business structures, Market monitor, News
Here come the brands: AA and Saga launch legal websites aimed at Middle England
Monday, 1 November 2010The AA and Saga have today launched legal services websites targeted at Middle England as pressure on high street solicitors cranks up. Both companies – which are owned by the same private equity businesses – have tied up with volume law firm Cogent Law to offer services sitting behind an online document-assembly platform provided by legal IT company Epoq Legal.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, legal expenses insurance, Online Legal Services
Posted in Alternative business structures, Market monitor, News
Edmonds calls for SRA flexibility on pre-ABS deals with investors to level playing field
Wednesday, 27 October 2010The chairman of the Legal Services Board has called on the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to be more flexible in its approach to law firms which are looking to do deals with external investors before alternative business structures (ABSs) become a reality on 6 October 2011. In a major speech, David Edmonds also suggested that the rules which prevent solicitors having unregulated separate businesses carrying out unreserved legal work are anti-competitive.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, external investment, Legal Services Board, reserved legal activities, Solicitors Regulation Authority, SRA
Posted in Alternative business structures, Legal Services Board, Market monitor, News, Solicitors
SRA says ABSs are likely to prove good news for solicitors and consumers alike
Tuesday, 26 October 2010There is real potential for alternative business structures (ABSs) to have a positive impact on both the profession and consumers, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has said. The provisional conclusions of an equality impact assessment said solicitors would benefit from improved employment opportunities, while ABSs would facilitate improved access to legal services for consumers.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, BME, small firms, Solicitors Regulation Authority
Posted in Alternative business structures, News
India outsourcer sets up in Manchester as LPO focus shifts to PI and conveyancing
Monday, 25 October 2010Indian outsourcing company Mangalam Information Technologies has set up an office in Manchester as it explores the opportunities for legal process outsourcing (LPO) in the UK, including “low hanging fruits” such as personal injury (PI) and conveyancing work. It comes as UK-based LPO providers estimated that they could reduce transactional costs in PI by up to 30%.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, conveyancing, legal process outsourcing, LPO, personal injury
Posted in News, Outsourcing
Are the Aussies coming? World’s first listed law firm eyes up UK market
Monday, 25 October 2010Australian law firm Slater & Gordon – the first in the world to go public – is keeping a close eye on developments in England and Wales and would consider entering the market, its managing director has revealed. Andrew Grech also gave an insight into the lengthy process they went through to float.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, Slater & Gordon, stock market listing
Posted in Alternative business structures, Market monitor, News
Over half of firms have lost or expect to lose work to non-lawyer competitors, says survey
Friday, 22 October 2010Over half of all law firms have either lost business to a non-lawyer competitor or expect to in the future, a new survey from accountants Baker Tilly has revealed. Some 29% of firms with 25 partners or fewer had already lost business to a non-lawyer competitor, compared to 12% of larger practices.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, external investment, legal disciplinary practice
Posted in Alternative business structures, Barristers, News, Solicitors