President's Review - Stephen Mahoney

Time flies and, it seems, never more so than when you agree to become President of DASLS.  I can scarcely believe it is over two years ago that I got the phone call from Tony Mason at the behest of the College of Past Presidents, to enquire whether I would be prepared to be nominated as Deputy Vice President.  My personal involvement with our local Law Society had been peripheral until then.  However, since stepping onto the conveyer belt which has brought me to the Presidency for 2018/19, I have come to appreciate what a lot of time and effort goes into making DASLS the highly regarded and effective body that it is.  The bedrock is undoubtedly the stability...

Accountants Reports – past and future

In this article we reflect back on our own experience in Accountants Reports in 2017 and also provide some information from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) about the impact they have seen since the changes in regime that commenced back in 2014.   There have been 3 main phases in terms of changes in the reporting regime over recent years which can be summarised as follows:-   Phase 1 (Oct 2014) – exemptions for certain LAA firms, unqualified reports not submitted Phase 2 (Nov 2015) – new report, outcomes based, extended exemptions for report being required Phase 3 (Expected - 2019) – new rules to come into effect.   Before Phase 1 comme...

President's Review - Nigel Lyons

I hope you have all enjoyed your summer holidays. All in all the weather in the south west was very good.   I would be grateful if you could ensure you get your nominations to us for the 2020 Devon and Somerset Legal Awards and raise the profile of the solicitors’ profession. Grow Marketing Group is again working with us to help to give the associated firms and individuals the significant public exposure they deserve. They help us to put together an incredible night in celebration of the legal profession and to showcase the achievements and successes within it. As you will recall the 2020 Annual Dinner is being held at Exeter Cathedral, on the 30th April wh...

Jason Mitchell: partner and legal specialist at PKF Francis Clark - No ordinary accountant

Jason Mitchell is a partner at PKF Francis Clark based in its Truro office but working right across Devon and Somerset as well as nationally. A Chartered Accountant and legal specialist within PKF Francis Clark’s own dedicated legal sector division.   Jason has a law industry background and works closely with sole practitioners’ right up to some of the UK’s largest law firms – assisting them to improve their performance, profitability, regulatory compliance and supporting them with various other sector-specific business challenges.   A veteran of 18 years with PKF Francis Clark, Jason works alongside Andrew Allen, a well-known industry figure who...

President's Review - Nigel Lyons

Dear All   Gosh this year is now galloping by. The clocks went back last month and before long it will be Christmas.   I have certainly had an exciting few months travelling to visit a number of the local law societies.     I had a great time at the Plymouth Law Society (PLS) annual dinner at the beginning of October. It was very enjoyable to go back to the Duke of Cornwall Hotel. Returning to the hotel brought back many happy memories. I had my annual dinner there when I was the PLS President. Long before that, in the early 1970’s, I used to play in the building as a boy. One of my friends' father was the general manager. We would run up and down t...

Reach for the STARs?

  The remodelled regulatory toolkit from the SRA is to be launched on 25 November 2019. Called the SRA Standards and Regulations, (or STARs for short), its tone is transitional and evolutionary as opposed to revolutionary. However, it does provide some very strong messages about what is expected from us. Compliance professionals employed in SRA-authorised firms should be making preparations to support their colleagues make a safe and appropriate switch to this new regulatory toolkit.   The STARs signify phase two of the SRA’s regulatory relationship with us. Phase 1 was introduced by the SRA in 2011 with the SRA Handbook. This was a revolutionary document...