What purpose was achieved by your negative editorial about sole practitioners (see [2006] Gazette, 18 May, 14)? All you did was reinforce the same old, outdated misconceptions.

Of course sole practitioners will survive in the new legal landscape - we always have. Our numbers are steadily increasing and the profile is getting younger and younger.


It is obvious that sole practitioners set up in practice after being employees or partners. That evolution will not change, especially with the continued fall-out from the larger firms.


The great advantage we solos have is our flexibility and our ability to keep down overheads. Our clients come to us because they want a personal, individual service, and that is what they get.


We have always had a good attendance rate at our annual conference, and this year was no different. You may think numbers are low, but compare that with the pathetically low proportion of solicitors who turn up (as paying delegates) to the Law Society's annual conference, I think you will find that we do better.


The big firms would love to see the end of sole practitioners. They would love to gobble up the small firms and probably the rest of the competition to boot. The small to medium-sized firms are probably most at risk.


Janis Purdy, chairwoman of the Solicitor Sole Practitioners Group, Bristol