header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us
14 August 2019
Issue: 7853 / Categories: Legal News , Brexit , EU , Legal services , Profession
printer mail-detail

Stark choice for law firms under no deal

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.
Law firm owners or co-owners with EEA or EFTA qualifications will need to re-qualify, re-register or restructure their business before Brexit if the UK leaves with no deal, the government has warned.

Registered European lawyers (RELs) have until December 2020 to do the same.

The Ministry of Justice published a short online advice sheet for lawyers last week, titled ‘Guidance for legal services business owners on preparing for a no deal Brexit’.

It stated that RELs or lawyers with qualifications from the EU, Norway, Iceland or Liechtensein (EEA-EFTA) who wish to continue ownership of a legal services business in England, Wales or Northern Ireland must choose one of three options.  They must requalify in the UK, become a Registered Foreign Lawyer, or ‘make the necessary changes to their practice or business structure to comply with the new regulatory arrangements’.

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can continue to be employed without needing to prove their right to work until 1 January 2021. 

Issue: 7853 / Categories: Legal News , Brexit , EU , Legal services , Profession
printer mail-details

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Read All
Sponsored by
Laytons ETL—Maximilian Kraitt

Laytons ETL—Maximilian Kraitt

Commercial firm strengthens real estate disputes team with associate hire

Switalskis—three appointments

Switalskis—three appointments

Firm appoints three directors to board

Browne Jacobson—seven promotions

Browne Jacobson—seven promotions

Six promoted to partner and one to legal director across UK and Ireland offices

NEWS
Read All
NLJ this week: Mazur and more—inside the litigation frontline

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

NLJ this week: Social media bans for children spark legal dilemmas
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
NLJ this week: Leasehold reform risks creating ‘forgotten freeholders’
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
NLJ this week: Court of Appeal clarifies when a claim truly begins
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
NLJ this week: Split FDRs could ease pressure—and boost settlements
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
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll