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26 November 2021 / Veronica Cowan
Issue: 7958 / Categories: Features , Profession
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What the Ombudsman says

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Veronica Cowan talks to the Chief Legal Ombudsman, Paul McFadden, about his plans to drive recovery & change
  • Speeding up case handling and reducing backlog.
  • The attraction of an informal solution-based approach.

The Legal Ombudsman Service, which is funded by its members (service suppliers), deals with about 7,000 disputes each year, between regulated legal firms and claims management companies and their clients. If attempts by the parties to resolve the dispute fail, the service provider must inform the client about the complaints process.

There are a number of Ombudsmen, headed by the Chief Ombudsman, Paul McFadden, who was appointed in January 2021 from the public sector, where his roles included being Deputy Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, and its Judicial Appointments Ombudsman; helping establish Scotland’s first independent Police Complaints Commission and the UK’s Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration. As the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, he headed its Complaints Standards Authority, implementing a streamlined and improved complaints-handling framework, and culture across Scotland’s public bodies.

Having previously worked in the public sector

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Walkers—Muriel Marseille

Walkers—Muriel Marseille

Ashurst's Chief Risk Officer joins Walkers

Excello Law—John Osborne

Excello Law—John Osborne

Northern family lawyer John Osborne joins Excello

mfg Solicitors—Rebecca Rogers, Kennedy Langley & Victoria Griffiths

mfg Solicitors—Rebecca Rogers, Kennedy Langley & Victoria Griffiths

Trio of promotions announced at Kidderminster law firm mfg Solicitors

NEWS
A sole director can conspire with their own company for the purposes of the tort of unlawful means conspiracy, the High Court has ruled in a judgment with potentially wide implications for business disputes
The Court of Appeal has reinforced that domicile depends on intention rather than residence alone, in a significant post-Brexit ruling on cross-border financial remedy claims
The Chancery Division's long history comes to an end this autumn as it is reborn as the Business and Property Division, prompting questions over whether the shake-up is really necessary
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) continues to show that failing to disclose regulatory issues can attract harsher consequences than the original misconduct itself
Rejecting a generous settlement can prove an expensive mistake, as two recent high-profile cases demonstrate
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