The Middle East's legal sector could soon have something in common with law firms and in-house departments in the UK as the Law Society of England & Wales takes its Lexcel law management quality mark to the Middle East and Ireland over the next few months.
Lexcel, which is awarded by the Law Society to law firms and in-house legal departments that meet high client care and business management standards, was secured by international corporation Carillion and law firm Trowers & Hamlins earlier this year. In both cases the quality mark also covers their Middle Eastern offices.
The Society will be promoting the Lexcel practice standard to the region's legal sector in Dubai, starting with the Lexis Nexis Conference in October.
Law Society president Lucy Scott-Moncrieff said:
'The UK legal sector has, for some time, had strong links in the Middle East either through clients being based there, or through Law Society legal training events and through UK firms having offices there. Lexcel will not be a new concept in the region and since Carillion and Trowers & Hamlins secured the quality mark this year, it will have an even greater presence.
'With business between the UK and Dubai, as well as other parts of the Middle East, on a sure footing it makes sense that Lexcel is the recognised practice standard by which legal teams and their respective clients in different jurisdictions can acknowledge certain high standards in their dealings.
'Lexcel is, and continues to be, exportable.'
The Society's Lexcel team will be in Dubai at various points from October. Alongside a Lexcel presence at the Lexis Nexis Law & Regulation Conference in Dubai, the Lexcel team will be meeting with legal practices in the region and piloting a series of seminars and training sessions.
As well as a robust application and assessment process to gain Lexcel, practices must reapply annually to maintain the Lexcel status, undergoing background checks and on-site visits from Lexcel assessors to ensure they meet the high standards expected for Lexcel.
There are currently more than 1,300 Lexcel accredited law firms and in-house legal teams including practices in the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Poland.
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Notes to editors
The Law Society is the independent professional body, established for solicitors in 1825, that works globally to support and represent its members, promoting the highest professional standards and the rule of law.
Find out more about Lexcel