Society's News

Corporate Members 2022

3PB Albion Chambers Ashfords Barcan + Kirby Beale & Co Bevan Brittan BLM Burges Salmon Clarke Willmott CMS CMNO DAC Beachcroft The Family Law Practice Foot Anstey (including Enable Law) Freeths Fussell Wright GL Law Guildhall Chambers Irwin Mitchell Solicitors Lyons Davidson Marc White & Co Meade King Osborne Clarke Paragon Costs Solutions Queen Square Chambers Royds Withy King Simmons … more

BLS features in Bristol Post oldest thriving companies in Bristol

Excerpt from the article: How Bristol’s oldest companies are still thriving after more than 100 years in business They include the city’s last-surviving chocolate maker a wine merchant and a tannery. Why do some companies struggle to survive beyond a year while others flourish for hundreds? Although more than 90 per cent of small companies in Britain will survive one … more

BLS Annual Awards Dinner 3rd November 2022

Check out our digital Awards Brochure with a welcome from our C0-Presidents, full details of the award categories and links to our wonderful supporters who make this event possible. We look forward to celebrating the best of the local profession with you on 3rd November! BLS Awards 2022 Digital Brochure Nomination Brochure 2022 Nomination Online Submissions Booking Form 2022

Important News Regarding Pi Insurance For Solicitors

The Law Society has asked Bristol Law Society to alert members to the fact that the deadline for PII renewals expired on 30th September.  Firms who have not obtained insurance will now be subject to the provisions of the Extended Indemnity Period (EIP) and Cessation Period.  This provides firms with 90 days to either to obtain insurance or to make arrangements to shut down or merge.

 

We understand that it is too early to give a precise figure for the number of firms that have not yet obtained PII.  Firms are required to notify the SRA within five working days of the expiry date if they have not obtained insurance.  However, initial indications suggest that the number may well be in the hundreds.

 

The Law Society has asked us to note that solicitors who have been unable to find insurance can consider the following resources for advice:

 

  • See the Law Society’s advice on the EIP and what it means – http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/advice/articles/extended-indemnity-period/;
  • Explore the option of Chancery Pii, which is a managing general agency that has been created to provide primary layer PII cover for solicitors’ firms in England and Wales with 1-4 partners. Chancery Pii places insurance with a panel of participating insurers. Each insurer has a financial strength rating of at least A- (Standard and Poor’s) or equivalent and each takes an agreed percentage share of the liability/premium for a policy. More information is available at www.lawsociety.org.uk/chancerypii
  • In respect of advice about planning for closure/merger, the Society provides:

 

 

  • Pastoral support from LawCare.

 

Further information from the Law Society can be found online at http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/communities/small-firms-division/articles/professional-indemnity-insurance-renewal-situation-october-2013/