LawNet announces new online risk management portal
Specialist director appointed to lead compliance developments
LawNet is responding to the growing compliance burden by announcing the development of a new risk management portal for its members.
The online portal will help firms manage the introduction of the SRA Handbook and Outcomes-Focussed Regulation (OFR) and is described as providing real tools for firms to use day-to-day.
It will bring together various partners, including insurers, to lead firms through effective implementation designed to match up to the SRA requirements. It will be complemented through LawNet’s learning programme, with training and risk management consultation.
And the network has appointed a legal accreditations and compliance professional to head up and develop these services for members.
Jeanette Lucy joins from legal training provider CLT where she was qualifications and accreditations director for six years. She previously spent 15 years with the Law Society in professional ethics, and a spell in private practice, heading up compliance and money laundering for a regional firm.
“A major objective is to support firms in implementing the new requirements day-to-day. We see ourselves as being part of their compliance team, helping them develop the right processes and I am leading the development of the package that will help them in risk management, risk regulation, reporting, and recommendations,” said Jeanette.
She will also be heading up the network’s quality and accreditation and the major exercise of re-writing the LawNet quality standard, covering OFR, LEXCEL and the ISO 9001:2008 LawNet Quality Standard certification, which is compulsory for all LawNet firms. Members can now combine this with LEXCEL for an integrated joint accreditation review.
LawNet chief executive John Thomas emphasised the importance of Jeanette’s appointment, saying: “Risk management and compliance is the big issue for firms today. We intend to make it a simple process for them, allowing them to concentrate on fee earning. Jeanette has an outstanding track record in areas that are vital for us to deliver the right support for firms in the years to come.”
As director of learning and development for LawNet, Jeanette will also use her experience in developing training and accreditation for lawyers to develop the network’s free CPD training programme and other learning and development across its 28 specialist groups.
Jeanette took a law degree before making an early move into personnel management and from there to the Law Society, where she was involved in writing the practice rules, the accounts rules and the Guide to the Professional Conduct of Solicitors during her time in the ethics division.
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Press information:
Maggie Taylor, Prima PR & Marketing
Direct line: 01400 251557 Mobile: 0797 3767602 Email: maggie@primapr.co.uk
Helen Hamilton-Shaw, Director of Services, LawNet
Direct line: 01926 834622 Email: hhamilton-shaw@lawnet.co.uk
Notes to Editor:
About LawNet:
The combined income of the 68 firms comprising LawNet is currently in excess of £250m – equivalent to a UK Top 15 law firm – with members ranging from £2m to £15m turnover.
Independent research shows LawNet is most highly valued by members for delivering in six key areas – training, networking, PII, business development, marketing and compliance. It currently places some £1.2bn worth of PI cover alone for members each year, which helps stabilise premiums for firms.
Each year LawNet delivers over 60 CPD accredited learning events at venues throughout the UK, covering a wide range of technical legal updates, practice management and business development topics, including a leading-edge strategic leadership and management development programme. All the learning days are CPD accredited, many are provided as a free service within membership, and the member-defined programme ensures that topics tackle key issues affecting that particular area of practice.
All LawNet firms must achieve ISO 9001:2008 LawNet Quality Standard certification within two years of joining, and securing and maintaining that accreditation is a condition of membership. Through a unique agreement with the Law Society, firms can also secure and hold the Lexcel practice management standard and benefit from a simplified dual auditing process for the two marks, with the independent assessment delivered through LawNet.
Twitter: @LawNetUK
Blog: http://thelawnetblog.wordpress.com/
Free CPD training for LawNet members
LawNet is to provide its CPD accredited training free of charge to members, saying it wants to help firms maintain training standards against a backdrop of tough economic trading conditions.
The scheme was successfully piloted on a selection of courses earlier this year and is now to be rolled out for a full year.
LawNet, the leading law firm network with nearly 70 mid size independent law firm members, delivers over 50 CPD accredited learning events each year for its member firms, covering a wide range of technical, practice management and business development topics.
And now around 35 of these will be delivered free of charge during the coming year, with 1400 delegate places across over 20 specialist practice areas.
“We recognise that in tough economic times, it’s often training budgets that get slashed but this is just the time that firms most need to invest in skills to stay ahead. We do not want our firms to suffer from lack of skills or the benefits that come from getting together and engaging in face-to-face learning,” explained director of services Helen Hamilton-Shaw.
“As we operate as a mutual organisation for the benefit of members, our training delivery has always been delivered on a not for profit basis. Because of the growth of the network over the last year, combined with savings elsewhere, we’ve been able to make this happen and help our firms at a very practical level. The backbone of our network is the quality ethos; all our firms must maintain our ISO.9001 standard, and ongoing training is key to good practice and risk management.”
John Britten of Actons, LawNet member in Nottingham, has welcomed the free CPD saying: “For me the training and sharing of knowledge continues to be one of the most important aspects of membership.
“The training is developed in response to what members actually want, and as we are a group of like-minded firms of a similar profile, wanting broadly the same sort of training, it’s a bit like having bespoke in-house training but at a very good value rate – even better value now that so many courses will be free.”
Specialist professional development and residential courses run by LawNet will continue to be chargeable, including their strategic leadership and management programme, which involves leading specialist speakers.
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Press information:
Maggie Taylor, Prima PR & Marketing
Direct line: 01400 251557 Mobile: 0797 3767602 Email: maggie@primapr.co.uk Twitter : @magtay
Helen Hamilton-Shaw, Director of Services, LawNet
Direct line: 01926 834622 Email: hhamilton-shaw@lawnet.co.uk Twitter: @helenhshaw
Notes to Editor:
About LawNet:
LawNet was established in 1989 to enable a collaborative, non-competing national network where independent law firms could access big firm resources and benefit from collective purchasing, shared knowledge, best practice and expertise. Each firm has an exclusive geographical operating area to enable collaboration.
The combined income of the 68 firms comprising LawNet is currently in excess of £250m – equivalent to a UK Top 15 law firm – with members ranging from £2m to £15m turnover.
Independent research shows LawNet is most highly valued by members for delivering in six key areas – training, networking, PII, business development, marketing and compliance. It currently places some £1.2bn worth of PI cover alone for members each year, which helps stabilise premiums for firms.
Twitter: @LawNetUK
Blog: http://thelawnetblog.wordpress.com/