Firms and people: The latest news, moves and announcements
MSB Solicitors has relocated its Birmingham operations to a larger office in Chamberlain Square and is recruiting for its property team in the city. “We are delighted to expand our operations in Birmingham following the recruitment to our family, crime and social housing teams and ahead of the appointments of our new property and litigation […]
Nottinghamshire law firm transitions to employee owned trust
Nottinghamshire Law Firm Fidler & Pepper has announced the business has transitioned to an employee ownership trust (EOT) in a move it says is “designed to protect the legacy, values, culture and independence that have shaped the firm for more than a century”. An EOT is a business structure in which a company is owned […]
Mortgage Advice Bureau acquires HomeOwners Alliance
HomeOwners Alliance (HOA), a consumer focused home-moving advice website, has been acquired by Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB) in a move described by MAB as a way to “strengthen presence earlier in the home-buying journey and expand its role across the wider property ecosystem”. Founded in 2012, HOA receives millions of web visits annually, providing guidance, […]
Monisha Shah appointed chair of the Legal Services Board
The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of Monisha Shah as chair of the Legal Services Board for four years from 1st April 2026. For the last 12 months, Catherine Brown had acted as interim chair of the oversight regulator after the unexpectedly short tenure of Alan Kershaw who stepped down in February 2025 after […]
Profile: Victoria Pollington, legal director and team leader, Birketts
With over 20 years’ residential property experience, Victoria Pollington leads Birketts’ Norwich Residential Real Estate Team and the department’s Lifetime Lending/Equity Release sector. She advises a range of clients, both individual and company, on the full spectrum of residential property transactions including complex and high value matters. Victoria is experienced in drafting complex documents such as […]
Legal-technology founder launches AI powered conveyancing firm
The founder of a conveyancing technology provider has launched a CLC-regulated law firm “to show that the variability that has long characterised the conveyancing process is not inevitable”. Ed Boulle is the co-founder of Orbital, an AI-powered property due diligence platform which provides summarised title documents, leases, deeds, searches and lender requirements for conveyancers. Announcing […]
Women in Residential Property hosts networking lunch and calls for conveyancers to get involved
Women in Residential Property, a group which fosters collaboration between women working across all sectors of the residential property sector, is hosting a networking lunch in London this month and is urging more conveyancers to get involved. Founded in 2017 by Emma Vigus, Women In Residential Property holds regular digital and in-person networking events in […]
Profile: Rob Hosier: head of conveyancer relationships, PEXA UK
Rob Hosier is head of conveyancer relationships at PEXA UK, where he oversees the management and growth of PEXA’s relationships with all conveyancers. Hosier brings over 18 years of experience in the conveyancing sector. What was your career path to your current role? I started my career as a legal assistant straight out of law […]
Conveyancing appointments round-up
The onset of spring has seen a series of announcements from law firms and tech companies sharing details of new conveyancing hires and promotions. Switalskis has appointed four solicitors (main pic) to its residential conveyancing team, including two directors, adding further property expertise to its Wakefield, Bradford, Sheffield and Grimsby offices. Ed Atkin (pictured far […]
Lawfront adds Reading-based Field Seymour Parkes to portfolio
Private equity backed consolidator Lawfront has announced the acquisition of Reading based Field Seymour Parkes, taking the total number of firms under its ‘regional leaders’ banner to seven. Field Seymour Parkes joins regional firms Farleys, Fisher Jones Greenwood, Nelsons, Slater Heelis, Brachers and Trethowans as the Blixt-backed Lawfront continues to add to its growing […]
LSB confirms Richard Blakeway as chair of Office for Legal Complaints
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has confirmed the appointment of Richard Blakeway to the post of chair of the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) after an open competition. The appointment follows Blakeway’s appearance before the Justice Select Committee for pre-appointment scrutiny last month, and has been approved by Sarah Sackman, the minister of state for […]
Movera, ONP Solicitors and Steele Raymond celebrate growth
Movera and Steele Raymond are entering the new financial year in strong positions, with the trio of businesses celebrating growth, acquisitions and expansions this week. Home moving brand Movera reported a 33% year-on-year increase in sale and purchase completions across its conveyancing firms, ONP Solicitors and Cavendish, in 2025. To support its growth aspirations, Movera brought in […]
Mazur overturned: Legal sector reacts
Law firms and practitioners have responded to the Court of Appeal’s decision to overturn the decision in Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys, which limited the extent to which legal executives and paralegals can conduct litigation. Following the Court of Appeal’s judgment, CILEx Regulation said its priority would be to support those who had been affected […]
Profile: Joy Hagelthorn, senior product manager at e4 Strategic UK
Joy Hagelthorn is a senior product manager with more than 17 years’ experience in digital innovation. For the past three years, she has focused exclusively on UK conveyancing and lender technology, working closely across product design and software delivery. Her work is centred on reducing friction in the UK conveyancing process by developing intuitive, modern […]
Three hours a day spent on non-billable tasks, report finds
UK legal professionals spend nearly three hours a day on non-billable tasks, according to a new industry report. Profitability in Law: Global Report 2026, commissioned by LEAP Legal Software, surveyed around 700 legal professionals across six countries and found the equivalent of 88 full working days (17.5 weeks) a year are not charged for. Despite […]
Profile: Rachel Byles, residential property associate at Knights
Rachel Byles is an associate with over 20 years of extensive experience across all aspects of residential property. Her expertise includes freehold and leasehold sales and purchases, new build transactions, remortgages, probate sales, traditional and modern auction sales and purchases, buy to let investments and matrimonial transfers. She prides herself on delivering a proactive, efficient […]
Profile: Ryan Hannah, CEO of Compass
Ryan Hannah is the founder and CEO of Compass, the UK’s only fully indemnified SDLT assessment and calculation platform. He built Compass to address systemic inaccuracy in Stamp Duty Land Tax, ensuring purchasers pay exactly what they owe under the law, no more and no less. What was your career path to your current role? […]
SRA pays out £9m to ‘most urgent’ PM Law transactions after receiving 250 applications to compensation fund
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has provided £9 million in compensation to clients of PM Law, which closed unexpectedly at the start of February. The money has been largely used to facilitate property transactions which have been delayed as a result of the closure of the Sheffield law firm and its 20-plus affiliate firms. The […]
CILEX calls for more opportunities to diversify access to the legal profession
Legal regulators are not doing enough to open up the flexible pathways into a legal career that are needed to improve diversity in the sector, the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) says. The comments were made in response to the Legal Services Board’s (LSB) consultation on its draft policy statement on encouraging a diverse […]
Profile: Gethin Lloyd, residential property partner at Knights
Gethin Lloyd is a partner in the residential property team at Knights, having joined the firm in 2014 to start the residential property department in the Chester Office. His focus is service, communication and speed. If a client wants to get a transaction done quickly, he will do everything he can to achieve that. He […]