Market forces change

I have only one regret about Roger Bolt's comment article (see [2000] Gazette, 6 July, 14) - he beat me to it.I have been a practitioner in personal injury litigation for more than 20 years.

The radical changes that have taken place, particularly over the past five years or so, mean we are all working now in a completely different market and culture.Sadly, pure quality of service, resulting in recommendation after recommendation, is no longer going to be enough.Advertising and marketing have become increasingly important.

Now, we have moved beyond even that to the preponderance of what Mr Bolt refers to as 'claims farmers'.We are both a profession and a business.

There is no point in standing still.

However reluctant we may be, we need to move forward in the real commercial world to order to continue to compete.

In reality, is there a real difference commercially between undertaking volume unpaid or unremunerative small claims work for bulk providers to obtain the benefit of personal injury referrals, and paying introductory commissions?Even within the profession we ought to be entitled to compete on a level playing field rather than resort to artificiality in order to keep within the practice rules.We must recognise these truths reluctantly, and reach a consensus quickly rather than surrendering our work so that we may never see it again.

Neil Sugarman, Graham Leigh Pfeffer & Co, Bury