Lawyer Monthly Magazine - April 2019 Edition

defending claims for unfair and/ or wrongful dismissal. Firms are required to publish the total cost of services (or, where this is not practicable, the average costs or range of costs), the basis for the charges (including any hourly rates or fixed fees), details of the services included (and not included) in the cost, probable additional costs such as disbursements, likely timescales for key stages of work and details of the experience and qualifications of those carrying out the work. All firms, regardless of practice area, will also be required to publish regulatory and complaint-related information on their websites. However, it seems clear that many firms are not doing this. Constantine Law, as an adviser to businesses and individuals, is subject to the new rules because we provide employment law EMPLOYMENT LAW John Hayes, Constantine Law What are the new transparency rules and who do they apply to? The new rules require all regulated law firms in England and Wales to proactively publish extensive information relating to service and pricing across a number of common practice areas. This information will need to be clearly displayed on a firm’s website in an accessible and prominent location. However, this is clearly not happening. The rules cover many of themain areas of work for consumer- facing law firms, including residential conveyancing, probate, immigration (excluding asylum), motoring offences and employment tribunal claims for unfair and/or wrongful dismissal. Firms acting for small businesses will also be covered in relation to debt recovery services (up to £100,000), licensing applications for business premises and, again in the employment sphere, The SRA price transparency rules came into effect in December 2018. They mark a genuine attempt by the SRA in the way law firms are supposed to market themselves and expect to win new business. However, it is now clear that (at least in the area of employment law), law firms are paying lip service to the new rules and that an important opportunity has been missed. The SRA’s intention was that law firms should be much more open about their pricing than they might have been in the past, to keep pace with a fast-changing legal services market and to remain competitive. Those that fail to be transparent on fees and to move with the times will not only face enforcement action by the SRA but are likely to struggle commercially. At Constantine Law, we welcomed the rules. We are strong advocates of transparency, both in terms of providing total clarity to the client in terms of cost, and in the way that we work; our lean business model strips out fixed cost and passes on cost savings to the client. For the innovative law firm, the SRA price transparency rules present a real opportunity to differentiate that firm in what is a highly competitive marketplace. John Hayes is one of Lon- don’s leading employment lawyers; he advises UK cor- porates in the financial ser- vices, employment agen- cies, retail and construction sectors. He is also one of London’s leading solicitors in restrictive covenant disputes. John has a very solutions orientated and commercial approach. John’s client base is entrepreneurial and he is recognised in the Legal 500 and has previously headed the London employment team of a large national law firm. ABOUT JOHN HAYES ARE THE SRA’S PRICE TRANSPARENCY RULES ENOUGH? “ AT CONSTANTINE LAW, WE WELCOMED THE RULES. WE ARE STRONG ADVOCATES OF TRANSPARENCY, BOTH IN TERMS OF PROVIDING TOTAL CLARITY TO THE CLIENT IN TERMS OF COST, AND IN THE WAY THAT WE WORK; OUR LEAN BUSINESS MODEL STRIPS OUT FIXED COST AND PASSES ON COST SAVINGS TO THE CLIENT. ” “The SRA’s price transparency rules don’t go far enough, and law firms pay lip service to them”, says John Hayes of Constantine Law. John.Hayes@constantinelaw.co.uk | T: 0203 696 8230 APR 2019 54 Thought Leader www. lawyer-monthly .com