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Open all hours?

13 March 2008 / Paul Marsh
Issue: 7312 / Categories: Features , Company , Legal services , Commercial
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Image could be the difference between success and failure for smaller law firms, says Paul Marsh

The so-called “Big Bang” impact on the legal profession that the Legal Services Act 2006 is expected to cause has been labelled in some quarters as bad news for small- and mid-sized firms. While it is fair to say the legal services landscape will change, the outlook need not be bleak. Small high street law firms and mid-sized firms have the power themselves to adapt to new developments and ensure theirs is a thriving business.

There has been talk of the new legal disciplinary practices (LDPs) creating problems for many smaller law firms, but they create just as many opportunities. It should not have taken LDPs and the onset of alternative business structures (ABSs) to make some parts of the profession realise change is needed. The provision of high-quality legal services to individual consumers is not tied to any particular business model and the Act gives an opportunity to explore new ways of meeting clients’ needs

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Carey Olsen—Kim Paiva

Carey Olsen—Kim Paiva

Group partner joins Guernsey banking and finance practice

Morgan Lewis—Kat Gibson

Morgan Lewis—Kat Gibson

London labour and employment team announces partner hire

Foot Anstey McKees—Chris Milligan & Michael Kelly

Foot Anstey McKees—Chris Milligan & Michael Kelly

Double partner appointment marks Belfast expansion

NEWS
Is a suspect’s state of mind a ‘fact’ capable of triggering adverse inferences? Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Smith of Corker Binning examines how R v Leslie reshapes the debate
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has not done enough to protect the future sustainability of the legal aid market, MPs have warned
Writing in NLJ this week, NLJ columnist Dominic Regan surveys a landscape marked by leapfrog appeals, costs skirmishes and notable retirements. With an appeal in Mazur due to be heard next month, Regan notes that uncertainties remain over who will intervene, and hopes for the involvement of the Lady Chief Justice and the Master of the Rolls in deciding the all-important outcome
After the Southport murders and the misinformation that followed, contempt of court law has come under intense scrutiny. In this week's NLJ, Lawrence McNamara and Lauren Schaefer of the Law Commission unpack proposals aimed at restoring clarity without sacrificing fair trial rights
The latest Home Office figures confirm that stop and search remains both controversial and diminished. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Parpworth of De Montfort University analyses data showing historically low use of s 1 PACE powers, with drugs searches dominating what remains
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