Epoq in PwC accord to exploit rule 4 change

Epoq - the legal IT company behind the Desktop Lawyer service - has joined forces with accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in preparation for the deregulation of the legal services market.

Epoq - which recently renamed itself from Epoch - is set to provide its Rapidocs software in a package available to PwC clients, which hope to take advantage of plans to relax rule 4 of the Solicitors Practice Rules.

This bans employed solicitors from advising third parties.

The alliance came in the same week that the Lord Chancellor's Department published a consultation paper seeking views on competition within the profession, and announcing a review of the framework regulating legal services, including rule 4.

Epoq's chief executive officer Richard Cohen, a partner at London law firm Landau & Cohen, said: 'We are excited by the proposed reforms to rule 4 that would pave the way for organisations to offer their customers an array of legal products previously unavailable at a fixed price.'

He continued: 'We are currently working with PwC on how we can deliver a package to their clients that would enable the delivery of legal services direct to the public.

'We are in discussions with a number of financial service companies and banks, but can't announce anything until a deal is done.'

James Old, the project manger at PwC, said: 'We are auditors and business advisers to more than 40 of the FTSE 100 companies.

There is a huge market potential for many of these companies, in particular banks, insurance companies and retailers, to offer legal services.'

Andrew Towler