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15 October 2015 / Kerry Underwood
Issue: 7672 / Categories: Opinion , Legal services , Profession
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We need to talk about the ABS fiasco

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Why is everyone ignoring the obvious when it comes to ABSs? Kerry Underwood can’t hide his disbelief

In my recent NLJ series “Chronicle of a Death Foretold” I looked at the spectacular failure of alternative business structures (ABSs) (see NLJ, 8 May 2015, 15 May, 29 May, pp 22). Since then, Slater and Gordon’s share price has slumped following the well-publicised travails of Quindell. Curiously, when I click on “S and G in the News” on their website 99% of recent news about this alternative provision of legal services flagship is not there, neither can I see any obvious reference to Quindell. Can’t think why. Co-op, Stobart, Quindell: a litany of failure.

Game over surely? No, not for the flat-earthers, who include the Shadow Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer, the Legal Services Board (LSB), and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

Mission accomplished?

In one of its most bizarre statements—and there is plenty of competition—the LSB has now concluded that the goal of promoting innovation and diversity in

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NEWS
Lawyers have welcomed the Lord Chancellor’s reverse-ferret on jury reforms, but expressed ‘serious concerns’ about the decision to exclude fraud trials
From ‘rats in the robing room’ to ‘overworked’ judges and a shortage of court staff, barristers have aired their concerns about the state of the justice system
The use of agentic artificial intelligence (AI) poses ‘significant risks’ across the justice system, public services and government, and current regulation is ‘poorly suited’ to control it, experts have warned
The solicitors’ regulator has paused controversial plans to exclude owner-managers from compliance officer roles
The government has launched a £16m legal support grant to support 48 frontline legal advice organisations supporting people facing eviction, problem debt, benefit disputes and family breakdown
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