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01 August 2019 / Veronica Cowan
Issue: 7851 / Categories: Features , Profession , Property , Technology
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Conveyancing & time-saving technology

Veronica Cowan explains why it’s time for conveyancing firms to embrace digitalisation & adopt modern work practices

  • The need to adapt and survive: to meet the demands of buyers and sellers of property and address the challenge of increasing consolidation within the sector.

The initial thrill of buying a house can fade with snail-paced conveyancing, and not knowing what is happening. Recent research by InfoTrack found communication issues affect many consumer property transactions, with huge demand for conveyancers to introduce technology to improve digital communication, to access real-time information about their transactions. Clients of Simply Conveyancing Property Lawyers, who have or can download the Alexa app, can ask questions at any time about their conveyancing transaction, through its integration into its internal system eConvey.

Other initiatives are on track: the most recent report from the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority on technology and legal services found technological innovations reshaping the sector, with the use of artificial intelligence becoming increasingly common. Andy Sommerville, director at Search Acumen, the property data insight and technology

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Jackson Lees Group—Jannina Barker, Laura Beattie & Catherine McCrindle

Jackson Lees Group—Jannina Barker, Laura Beattie & Catherine McCrindle

Firm promotes senior associate and team leader as wills, trusts and probate team expands

Asserson—Michael Francos-Downs

Asserson—Michael Francos-Downs

Manchester real estate finance practice welcomes legal director

McCarthy Denning—Harvey Knight & Martin Sandler

McCarthy Denning—Harvey Knight & Martin Sandler

Financial services and regulatory offering boosted by partner hires

NEWS
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
From cat fouling to Part 36 brinkmanship, the latest 'Civil way' round-up is a reminder that procedural skirmishes can have sharp teeth. NLJ columnist Stephen Gold ranges across recent decisions with his customary wit
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