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11 March 2011 / Dr Jon Robins
Issue: 7456 / Categories: Opinion , Legal services , Marketing
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Too little too late?

The holy grail of the post-Legal Services Act world appears to be the creation of a solicitor-led legal brand instantly recognisable by the public...

Are law firms too late to build the solicitor brand? asks Jon Robins

The holy grail of the post-Legal Services Act world appears to be the creation of a solicitor-led legal brand instantly recognisable by the public and which will see off competition from all those household names—Co-Op, Halifax,
Which? et al—heading their way.

National branding

The speed at which firms appear to be signing up to the QualitySolicitors scheme—100 new branches opened last week—suggests a somewhat late-in-the-day conversion on the part of the profession to the belief that salvation does indeed lie in the power of collective marketing schemes. Either that or it suggests the beginnings of mass panic ahead of the 6 October start date for alternative business structures (ABSs).

Another attempt to create a national legal brand called Face 2 Face Solicitors was launched earlier this month. It claims to be “the first solicitors’

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Switalskis—Sally Ann Masih, Suzy Overton & Jane Beaumont

Switalskis—Sally Ann Masih, Suzy Overton & Jane Beaumont

Trio of recruits strengthens Switalskis residential property team

Ward Hadaway—Steven Hayward

Ward Hadaway—Steven Hayward

Birmingham law firm appoints construction partner

Flint Bishop—six appointments

Flint Bishop—six appointments

Flint Bishop accelerates Northern growth through strategic senior appointments

NEWS
A High Court decision has clarified that a home may be unfit for human habitation not only where conditions endanger health or safety, but also where they seriously undermine comfort and convenience

A longer time limit for employment tribunal claims, new charity law thresholds, property tribunal recruitment and appellate guidance on small-claims costs feature in the latest Civil Way round-up

A recent High Court ruling could make issue estoppel considerably more complex in cross-border litigation, requiring parties to consider the foreign law governing the underlying claim
The Supreme Court has overturned Cheshire West’s bright-line test for deprivation of liberty, replacing it with a broader, more contextual assessment that gives greater weight to an individual’s wishes, feelings and apparent consent
Jonathan Fisher KC’s wide-ranging fraud report contains worthwhile proposals, but turning them into workable reform will require money, capacity and political will
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