The Law Society has embarked upon a marketing campaign to let its members know exactly what it is doing for them. President Fiona Woolf explains why


I would be surprised if many (or any) solicitors could list all of the 101 things the Law Society delivers for them – so we are setting about telling you. You may have seen the advertisements in the Gazette from last week or posters appearing at tube stations in London directing you to www.supportingsolicitors.com. What is this all about, you might well ask?



The message is pretty simple: as your national representative body, we work hard to promote and protect the interests of all solicitors. From lobbying the government and regulators to sharing best practice, from online training to expert advice – we can help in many ways.



And I think that recently we have had quite a lot to shout about, because no sooner had we finished celebrating the delayed introduction of home information packs (HIPs), then we received more good news on another change of heart by the government, this time on the new money laundering regulations.



On 4 June, I met with the Economic Secretary Ed Balls to receive the very positive news that an extended definition of ‘beneficial owner’ would be provided and that what the Law Society had asked for would, essentially, be delivered. Law Society staff are currently reviewing the proposed definition in consultation with practitioners and other representative bodies, but I can say that we are optimistic the clarity required for the definition to be practical and proportionate can be achieved.



Only a few months ago the Treasury was insistent that its hands were tied – the definition of ‘beneficial ownership’ in the regulations had to be the same as the one in the European directive and any problems on how to interpret that was a matter for professional bodies to give guidance on. This was not a position that the Law Society could begin to accept on behalf of our members or the regulated sector as a whole. We all know that guidance has no legal status.



It is pleasing that our heavy lifting on both money laundering and HIPs has delivered results. We consistently opposed the introduction of HIPs and warned the government goodness knows how many times of the potentially disastrous ramifications on the housing market. Without a crystal ball it is difficult to predict what will happen with HIPs. What we do know is that there is a great deal of confusion and uncertainty in the market and that you are probably hearing a number of differing views from pack providers and others in the industry about what is likely to happen. Law Society Deputy Vice-President Paul Marsh has written to all practitioners with the advice to continue with your plans to offer HIPs if you routinely deal with four-bed properties.



When it comes to sharing best practice, we will be presenting some exciting ideas from the accountancy and legal professions around better supervision and people management that will greatly improve productively. If you would like to learn more, do come along to Chancery Lane on 26 June for a really interesting, engaging and practical event (please email Aisling.Mcdonald@
lawsociety.org.uk
for more information).


One of my priorities for my year as President has been to engage with parts of our membership that have been disengaged with the Law Society. One such group has been solicitors who work in the largest firms. My visits to the top 100 practices are now drawing to a close and it has been fantastically rewarding. The success of this initiative has demonstrated a desire for the Law Society to communicate better with these firms and I am confident a new and more productive relationship is developing.



A key demonstration of that commitment are our small stands at 14 of our largest firms in London, Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool to highlight the variety of services and support we provide to our members. One such area where we have a lot to say is on the opening of new international markets for firms of all sizes. Many of you may not be aware until now that we are currently carrying out work in over 20 jurisdictions around the world to gain practice rights for solicitors from England and Wales. We are active around the world and our key targets at the moment include India, China, Russia and Brazil.



By supporting and extending the development of international practice, we help our firms lead the way globally. The support on offer ranges from getting rights for solicitors to fly in and out of countries, through to ensuring that firms can establish full service practices and recruit local lawyers and partners. Past successes have included the removal of the need for a local partnering arrangement so that our member firms can now operate more easily in Japan, something we are also working to achieve Singapore.



I have visited firms of solicitors of all sizes up and down the country and they have all told me that they want an efficient and effective national body that strongly represents their interests. We are working to become a Law Society which is relevant, contemporary, value for money, responsive and showing real leadership through a period of immense change. This campaign, I hope, demonstrates to you that we are here to help, protect and promote you as your representative body.



Fiona Woolf is President of the Law Society