You are lifeblood of profession, sole practitioners told

Sole practitioners were told last week that they are the lifeblood of the profession and a force to be reckoned with.Speaking at the Sole Practitioner Groups annual conference last weekend in Harrogate, the outgoing chairman, Peter Williams, told the 150 delegates that there was a genuine and realistic feeling of optimism that being a sole practitioner is worthwhile, and has a viable future.He welcomed the Law Societys decision to notify lending institutions which refuse to instruct sole practitioners that they will be referred to the Office of Fair Trading unless they discontinue the anti-competitive behaviour (see [2001] Gazette, 26 April, 3).

Law Society Deputy Vice-President Carolyn Kirby told delegates that the letter to lenders was an example of the Societys efforts on behalf of sole practitioners.See Editorial, page 16Victoria MacCallum