Conveyancers Join the Steady Stream of Companies Granted ABS Status

Conveyancing Direct was one of four conveyancing businesses awarded an Alternative Business Structure (ABS) licence by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) in October.  Red Legal, Advantage Property Lawyers (APL) and Runnett & Co were the other three licensed by the CLC last month.  The latest entry, Vickery Conveyancing, which received ABS status on 7 November, brings the total ABS licences issued by the CLC to fourteen.

Conveyancing Direct, a unit of the Connells estate agency that is fully owned by Skipton Building Society, sought ABS status to broaden its scope.  The company told Legal Futures that the ABS licence will support its business expansion in the next two to three years.

Runnett & Co, which was acquired by online conveyancing firm In-Deed earlier this year, is one of the top ten conveyancing businesses across England and Wales.  Red Legal is present in Northampton, Leicester, Milton Keynes and Bedford.

Meanwhile, Birmingham-headquartered Legal Clarity, which provides corporate and commercial legal services, obtained its ABS licence from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) on 30 October.  Bristol-based Lyons Davidson, which offers outsource services to insurers and has additional offices in London, Cardiff and Edinburgh, also received an ABS licence from the SRA at the end of October.

By early November, the SRA had issued 39 ABS licences.  October entrants also included Pudsey Legal Services, Stuart Hodge Corporate Lawyers, Keoghs LLP and AAG Legal Services.