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12 January 2022
Issue: 7962 / Categories: Legal News , Profession , Insurance / reinsurance
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No more flying solo?

Sole practitioners are swapping private practice for consultancy at larger firms in increasing numbers due to rising professional indemnity insurance (PII) premiums, research shows

Solicitors Regulation Authority figures show the number of sole practitioners dropped by 5% in the past six months alone. A LexisNexisreport, ‘Bellwether 2021: The good, the bad and the new’, revealed PII has risen by an average of 30% among small and medium firms in one year, with two-thirds of respondents identifying PII as among the biggest threats to their firm.

Adrian Jaggard, CEO at Taylor Rose MW, which has more than doubled its number of consultant solicitors to about 350 in the past year, said: ‘Increasing PII premiums have particularly impacted smaller firms and sole practitioners and it is having a marked impact on their appetite to keep operating independently.

‘We are seeing a lot of experienced solicitors who no longer want the responsibilities of compliance and increasing operating costs, and instead are seeking the relative security and freedom of operating as consultants.’

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Ogier—Martin Livingston

Ogier—Martin Livingston

Martin Livingston joins Ogier in Cayman to strengthen regulatory support

Blake Morgan—47 promotions

Blake Morgan—47 promotions

Blake Morgan announces 47 summer promotions across UK offices

NEWS
Consultant-led law firms should prepare for closer regulatory attention as oversight evolves
Artificial intelligence may draft workplace grievances, but employers cannot treat them any differently from conventional complaints
From dishonest claimants to judicial promotions and procedural skirmishes, the latest legal developments offer plenty for litigators to digest
Fresh guidance is set to influence how courts decide whether hearings take place online or in person
County Court judges remain divided over whether landlords can lawfully force entry to carry out essential safety inspections after tenants ignore access injunctions
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