Law firms are falling behind other sectors when it comes to client satisfaction and customer support, research commissioned by Peppermint Technology has revealed. How Law Firms Measure Up Against Other Sectors found that law firms lack the willingness to change, remain sceptical about the benefits of automation and are reluctant to take a long-term view and invest sufficiently in their business. Law firms invest only 4.1% of turnover in IT, compared to consultancy (4.9%), accountancy (5.1%) and financial services (7%). One third had not invested in any business innovations in the past two years, and did not maintain contact with clients.
15 April 2016
Are lawyers measuring up?
MOVERS & SHAKERS
NLJ Career Profile: Ken Fowlie, Stowe Family Law
Ken Fowlie, chairman of Stowe Family Law, reflects on more than 30 years in legal services after ‘falling into law’
Gardner Leader—Michelle Morgan & Catherine Morris
Regional law firm expands employment team with partner and senior associate hires
Freeths—Carly Harwood & Tom Newton
Nottinghamtrusts, estates and tax team welcomes two senior associates
NEWS
Children can claim for ‘lost years’ damages in personal injury cases, the Supreme Court has held in a landmark judgment
The cab-rank rule remains a bulwark of the rule of law, yet lawyers are increasingly judged by their clients’ causes. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian McDougall, president of the LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation, warns that conflating representation with endorsement is a ‘clear and present danger’
Holiday lets may promise easy returns, but restrictive covenants can swiftly scupper plans. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Francis of Serle Court recounts how covenants limiting use to a ‘private dwelling house’ or ‘private residence’ have repeatedly defeated short-term letting schemes
Artificial intelligence (AI) is already embedded in the civil courts, but regulation lags behind practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Ben Roe of Baker McKenzie charts a landscape where AI assists with transcription, case management and document handling, yet raises acute concerns over evidence, advocacy and even judgment-writing
The Supreme Court has drawn a firm line under branding creativity in regulated markets. In Dairy UK Ltd v Oatly AB, it ruled that Oatly’s ‘post-milk generation’ trade mark unlawfully deployed a protected dairy designation. In NLJ this week, Asima Rana of DWF explains that the court prioritised ‘regulatory clarity over creative branding choices’, holding that ‘designation’ extends beyond product names to marketing slogans
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