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18 March 2011 / Josh Bottomley
Issue: 7457 / Categories: Opinion
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Health assessment

The last few years have seen significant changes to the legal market. Increased competition from high street names such as the Co-operative and Halifax...

The last few years have seen significant changes to the legal market. Increased competition from high street names such as the Co-operative and Halifax, as well as the economic consequences of the credit crunch have led clients to look hard at the cost of pursuing legal remedies. In addition the Legal Services Act, changes to legal aid, and the government’s review of the cost of civil litigation, will all equate to the equivalent of the City’s “Big Bang” in the 1980s in the next 12–18 months.

High street lawyers working for small businesses and individuals have faced the greatest challenge. They are the firms that offer services on conveyancing, wills and probate, personal injury, family law, and standard employment and commercial contracts. They have tight margins and tend to be reliant on one or two areas of business. These firms face a stark choice: evolve or continue down a path that could lead

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Clarke Willmott—Anita Rasaratnam

Clarke Willmott—Anita Rasaratnam

Clarke Willmott strengthens social housing development offering with senior London appointment

Trowers & Hamlins—David Meecham

Trowers & Hamlins—David Meecham

Trowers strengthens Birmingham real estate team with partner hire

Blake Morgan—Jennifer Ray & Louise Culleton

Blake Morgan—Jennifer Ray & Louise Culleton

Blake Morgan expands private client and regulatory teams with new legal directors

NEWS
A mood of cautious optimism has enveloped the criminal law sector following indications the Prime Minister may abandon planned jury reforms
Helping to source the services and providers you need
The Senior Courts Costs Office has clarified that judges conducting detailed assessment proceedings cannot order security for costs—a ruling that may leave successful parties exposed to further litigation expense
Rejecting a generous settlement can prove an expensive mistake, as two recent high-profile cases demonstrate
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) continues to show that failing to disclose regulatory issues can attract harsher consequences than the original misconduct itself
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