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06 January 2014
Issue: 7589 / Categories: Legal News
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ABS 2 years old

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218 alternative business structures are in existence

The two-year anniversary of alternative business structures (ABSs) on 3 January was marked by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) by the announcement that 218 ABSs now exist. They include Co-operative Legal Services, Irwin Mitchell, Lyons Davidson, Russell Jones Walker (now owned by Slater Gordon) and Quindell.

BT created BT Law, insurance giant Admiral became involved in two firms, and AFH Legal was formed by a financial services group.

Local authorities have also contacted the SRA, including Buckinghamshire County Council and the Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Authority who reportedly intend to set up an ABS to be known as Buckinghamshire Law + later this year.

Outgoing SRA chief executive Antony Townsend said applicants had shown “highly impressive” innovation.

Issue: 7589 / Categories: Legal News
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MOVERS & SHAKERS

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Sidley—James Inness

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Partner joins capital markets team in London office

Haynes Boone—William Cecil

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Firm announces appointment of partner as UK general counsel

Devonshires—Nicholas Barrows

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Firm appoints first chief marketing officer to drive growth strategy

NEWS
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NLJ this week: CPR tweak closes third-party disclosure gap
A seemingly dry procedural update may prove potent. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ this week, Stephen Gold explains that new CPR 31.12A—part of the 193rd update—fills a ‘lacuna’ exposed in McLaren Indy v Alpa Racing
NLJ this week: Court of Appeals wrestles with Mazur fallout
The long-running Mazur saga edged towards its finale as the Court of Appeal heard arguments on whether non-solicitors can ‘conduct litigation’. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School reports from a packed courtroom where 16 wigs watched Nick Bacon KC argue that Mr Justice Sheldon had failed to distinguish between ‘tasks and responsibilities’
NLJ this week: Appeal court reins in ‘wrong defendant’ switcheroo

The Court of Appeal has slammed the brakes on claimants trying to swap defendants after limitation has expired. In Adcamp LLP v Office Properties and BDB Pitmans v Lee [2026] EWCA Civ 50, it overturned High Court rulings that had allowed substitutions under s 35(6)(b) of the Limitation Act 1980, reports Sarah Crowther of DAC Beachcroft in this week's NLJ

NLJ this week: Driving test fraudsters steer towards jail
Cheating in driving tests is surging—and courts are responding firmly. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Parpworth of De Montfort Law School charts a rise in impersonation and tech-assisted fraud, with 2,844 attempts recorded in a year
NLJ this week: Deepfakes demand data law muscle
As AI-generated ‘deepfake’ images proliferate, the law may already have the tools to respond. In NLJ this week, Jon Belcher of Excello Law argues that such images amount to personal data processing under UK GDPR
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