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07 July 2011
Issue: 7473 / Categories: Legal News
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Law firm investment

Interest in external investment is dwindling among law firms

Only 45% of firms are considering an outside investor, compared to 56% last year, according to the Baker Tilley Legal Services Act survey.

Less than a quarter are interested in incorporating, compared to just over a third last year. However, a rising number of firms are considering re-structuring to allow non-lawyer ownership—36% compared with 26% last year.

More than one in five firms are actively pursuing providing non-legal services via an appropriate non-lawyer partner compared with only 13% last year. Rowan Williams, partner at Baker Tilly, said: “Previously, law firms were interested in the opportunities provided by external investment from listing or private equity.

“However, over the last six months, management boards have done more research into what external investment would actually mean to their business.

Firms are either not willing to let outsiders get involved in management, or have reached the conclusion that external investment is not the answer to achieving their strategic aims.”

Issue: 7473 / Categories: Legal News
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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Devonshires—Rebecca Eastwood

Devonshires—Rebecca Eastwood

Housing management and property litigation practice strengthened by Leeds partner hire

Trowers & Hamlins—Rahul Sagar

Trowers & Hamlins—Rahul Sagar

Banking and finance practice bolstered by partner hire

mfg Solicitors—Ian Sheppard

mfg Solicitors—Ian Sheppard

Commercial litigation team welcomes senior associate in Birmingham

NEWS

From blockbuster judgments to procedural shake-ups, the courts are busy reshaping litigation practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School hails the Court of Appeal's 'exquisite judgment’ in Mazur restoring the role of supervised non-qualified staff, and highlights a ‘mammoth’ damages ruling likened to War and Peace, alongside guidance on medical reporting fees, where a pragmatic 25% uplift was imposed

Momentum is building behind proposals to restrict children’s access to social media—but the legal and practical challenges are formidable. In NLJ this week, Nick Smallwood of Mills & Reeve examines global moves, including Australia’s under-16 ban and the UK's consultation
Reforms designed to rebalance landlord-tenant relations may instead penalise leaseholders themselves. In this week's NLJ, Mike Somekh of The Freehold Collective warns that the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 risks creating an ‘underclass’ of resident-controlled freehold companies
Timing is everything—and the Court of Appeal has delivered clarity on when proceedings are ‘brought’. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ, Stephen Gold explains that a claim is issued for limitation purposes when the claim form is delivered to the court, even if fees are underpaid
The traditional ‘single, intensive day’ of financial dispute resolution (FDR) may be due for a rethink. Writing in NLJ this week, Rachel Frost-Smith and Lauren Guiler of Birketts propose a ‘split FDR’ model, separating judicial evaluation from negotiation
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