Lord Hunt to outline vision of new professionalism at Legal Week event

Shadow business and justice minister Lord Hunt is to outline his vision of a new model of self-regulation and professional ethics as a major speaker at an upcoming Legal Week event.

Hunt will next month discuss his much-touted model for overhauling the regulation of lawyers as the profession gears up for a new era of liberalisation under the Legal Services Act (LSA).

Hunt last year authored a report for the Law Society which called for substantial elements of self-regulation for larger firms and a move to emphasise underlying principles and professional values over box-ticking compliance.

The event - The Future of Legal Services Forum - will focus on two broad themes: the emergence of new business models in the wake of the LSA and current plans for a major overhaul of legal services regulation.

Among those discussing new business models will be Osborne Clarke managing partner Simon Beswick, Russell Jones & Walker chief executive Neil Kinsella and Simon Harper, partner and co-founder of Berwin Leighton Paisner's 'virtual' law firm, Lawyers on Demand.

Key contributors on the regulatory front will include Clifford Chance general counsel Chris Perrin on moves to update the oversight of City law firms and a keynote address from Legal Services Board chief executive Chris Kenny.

Samantha Barrass, the director of the Solicitors Regulation Authority's corporate regulation project, will discuss the body's plans in two contentious areas: targeting regulation on risks to clients and plans to oversee alternative business structures.

The event, which will be held in central London on 22 April, comes at a time of increasing focus on how liberalisation and new business models will transform the profession when the so-called Tesco Law reforms come into full force next year.

Click here for a conference brochure.

Email steve.hands@incisivemedia.com for delegate information.