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The Legal Ombudsman has won approval for changes to its rules that bring them more in line with the Financial Ombudsman Service and so equip it better to deal with alternative business structures like Co-operative Legal Services.

An international boutique legal consultancy headed by Cherie Booth QC, which advises governments on strategy, has received an alternative business structure licence from the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Omnia Strategy hit the headlines last year when it was reported to be advising the government of Bahrain.

Brilliant Law has become what it says is “the first true pure bred alternative business structure (ABS) start-up” and is offering to help other ABS applicants on a fixed-price basis. Meanwhile, a debt recovery business has received an ABS licence so that it can now offer the associated legal work.

‘Advice deserts’ that appear as a result of competition brought about by alternative business structures cannot be dealt with effectively by regulators operating under the Legal Services Act, an academic study headed by Professor Stephen Mayson has argued.

The Legal Services Board has no agenda for fundamental reform of the profession and would like to see a new era of co-operation between frontline regulators on matters of common interest, its chair David Edmonds told barristers last week.