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30 January 2026
Issue: 8148 / Categories: Legal News , Profession , Legal services , Regulatory
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LSB marks Mazur homework

Regulators differed in the clarity and consistency of their post-Mazur advice and guidance, according to an interim report by the Legal Services Board (LSB)

The LSB found guidance ‘was not always articulated with sufficient precision’ and that ‘greater cross regulator engagement on draft guidance may have supported a more consistent approach’. Moreover, their responses to direct questions from the profession ‘evolved over time... which risked inconsistent outcomes’.

The LSB, which oversees all eight legal regulators, launched its review in October, after the decision in Mazur v Charles Russell Speechleys [2025] EWHC. Mazur held that only authorised persons can conduct litigation, prompting confusion about the proper role of legal executives and other non-solicitor fee earners.

CILEX chief executive Jennifer Coupland, said: ‘The LSB report underscores the relevance of Mazur across the entire legal profession.  

‘We look forward to presenting our argument that Mazur was wrongly decided in the Court of Appeal next month. In the meantime, CILEX continues to promote the excellent work of CILEX professionals, supporting our members and encouraging them to apply for practice rights.’

Issue: 8148 / Categories: Legal News , Profession , Legal services , Regulatory
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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Cripps—Radius Law

Cripps—Radius Law

Commercial and technology practice boosted by team hire

Switalskis—Grimsby

Switalskis—Grimsby

Firm expands with new Grimsby office to serve North East Lincolnshire

Slater Heelis—Will Newman & Lucy Spilsbury

Slater Heelis—Will Newman & Lucy Spilsbury

Property team boosted by two solicitor appointments

NEWS
The Supreme Court has delivered a decisive ruling on termination under the JCT Design & Build form. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Singer KC and Jonathan Ward, of Kings Chambers, analyse Providence Building Services v Hexagon Housing Association [2026] UKSC 1, which restores the first-instance decision and curbs contractors’ termination rights for repeated late payment
Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes
The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
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