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Impact of coronavirus on legal profession

23 June 2020
Issue: 7892 / Categories: Legal News , Covid-19 , Profession
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Wills and probate practitioners saw no change in business levels, conveyancing was hardest hit, 60% of firms furloughed employees and 15% had to make redundancies, a survey of law firms has found

Company and commercial was the practice area hit second hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, as companies pressed the pause button, and crime suffered the third hardest hit as all but essential criminal cases stopped. The in-depth survey, ‘The impact of COVID-19 on legal businesses’, was carried out among 100 UK law firms by legal technology company dps software, in May (see https://bit.ly/3hU6GNj).

The survey predicts lawyers in certain practice areas may be in demand post-lockdown for unhappy reasons―business turmoil generated by the economic downturn will create work for insolvency and M&A practitioners and employment lawyers will be required to advise on redundancies. Divorce rates could rise due to the stress of lockdown. Criminal practitioners are also likely to see a surge in demand―figures obtained by the Criminal Bar Association showed a backlog of more than 40,000 cases as of 24 May.

Issue: 7892 / Categories: Legal News , Covid-19 , Profession
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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

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Brabners—Ben Lamb

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NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Writing in NLJ this week, Thomas Rothwell and Kavish Shah of Falcon Chambers unpack the surprise inclusion of a ban on upwards-only rent reviews in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
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