The Legal Services Commission (LSC) this week revealed which firms it has chosen to pave the way for the future of legal aid work through its 'preferred supplier' pilot.

The 25 firms selected for the pilot will work with an LSC 'relationship manager', who will help them develop their legal aid business while looking at ways of cutting down on LSC intervention.


The firms and the LSC will also discuss potential new incentives for those that will gain preferred supplier status in April 2005, when the LSC anticipates rolling the pilot out.


Current incentives include a £30,000 training grant to help recruit students. Civil firms will also receive enhanced payments on account, and greater devolved powers in relation to matter starts and other decision-making. Crime firms will work under a simplified process for claiming non-standard fees and investigation work, and will see the removal of upper limits for advice and assistance, and advocacy and assistance.


The firms selected by the LSC are: Baches Solicitors, Owen Nash & Co, Rotherham & Co, Terry Jones Solicitors & Advocates and Williamson & Soden in the west midlands; Brighton Housing Trust housing aid and legal centre, Edward Hayes, Francis Lovett, Hamnett Osborne Tisshaw and Wannop & Fox in the south-east; Ashley Smith & Co, Fisher Meredith, HCL Hanne & Co, TV Edwards and White Ryland in London; Burton Copeland, Forbes Solicitors, Green & Co, Platt Halpern Solicitors and Pluck Andrew & Co in the north-west; and Bhatia Best, Cartwright King, Fraser Brown, The Emery Johnson Partnership and The Johnson Partnership in the east midlands.


LSC chief executive Clare Dodgson said: 'By working closely with legal aid firms, we hope to establish real benefits that will make a difference to their clients and, in the longer term, help ensure the provision of quality legal aid nationwide.'