Winning strategies for surviving LASPO

The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO) 2012 posed some very difficult problems to claimant firms as it fundamentally changed how they operated and received fees. For some, these issues have proved insurmountable.

There has been a string of firms closing their doors as the post-LASPO legal landscape makes business unsustainable. This has been especially the case for small firms, who, without the help from referrers such as claims management companies (CMCs) and without large marketing budgets, are unable to drive enough fee-paying cases.

Those that have weathered the LASPO storm are firms which have risen to the challenges it posed and taken strategic decisions to safeguard their future.

Anthony Hodari was one of the first major firms which had fully prepared for LASPO and formulated a comprehensive strategy for its operations in the wake of the Act. Anticipating the shake-up of UK firms' operations that the new law would bring, the firm embarked on a number of acquisitions pre-LASPO.

The first firm to be acquired was the Paul Rooney Partnership, which was re-named Paul Rooney Solicitors and is now the 'consumer face' of the brand.

Paul Rooney was a pioneer in direct marketing for the legal sector, and the first to extensively advertise on radio, coining the still popular phrase, 'slip, trip or fall; call Paul', which contributed to the Paul Rooney Partnership and became one of the region's most recognisable personal injury firms. The firm has served clients nationally for over 30 years. It is this experience and equity that has proved so important to the post-LASPO self-sufficiency strategy of the firm and one which we are now building on with renewed vigour.

Community connection

Our strategy is to directly connect with the public. As part of this, we are reconnecting with grass roots organisations in the community, holding regular legal clinics to open up access to legal counsel, and by building on Paul's direct marketing approach, we're just about to open the doors on our new legal 'shop' in the heart of Liverpool City Centre, which will be open seven days a week to better meet the legal needs of consumers.

The new 'shop', formerly a branch of Santander, has an open plan advice centre where customers can pop in for a coffee and learn about the firm's expanded range of services, speak with a qualified solicitor and start a claim. We understand that seeing a solicitor can often be daunting but we want to make people feel at ease when they come to see us. It also has a suite of offices for private consultations and houses a team of over twenty solicitors and case handlers.

We have also had to diversify and now offer advice across a range of matters, including:

• Personal injury claims: road traffic accidents, slips and trips, major incidents;

• Medical negligence claims: wrong advice and treatment;

• Tenants' disrepair claims: heating and damp; and

• Care home claims: poor care and claims for care funding against the NHS.

Of course, different firms will have different strategies but for us it was right to reaffirm our heritage with the direct approach which has served the firm so well for the past 30 years.

While change has not come easily to many in the legal profession, change it must. Aside from the increased competition from large non-legal brands and firms with eye-watering marketing budgets, the willingness to adapt to the new market and the ability to innovate are essential bedfellows in the post-LASPO environment.

Caroline Sergeant is a senior personal injury solicitor and technical manager at the Liverpool office of Paul Rooney Solicitors and is member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL).

www.paulrooney.co.uk

caroline.sergeant@paulrooney.co.uk