Section 9A: Legal services bodies

For the purposes of section 9, a "legal services body" means a body (corporate or unincorporate) in respect of which —

are satisfied.

The management and control condition is satisfied if—

The Society may by rules under section 9 provide that, in relation to specified kinds of bodies, subsection (2) applies as if the references to 75% were to such greater percentage as may be specified (and different percentages may be specified for different kinds of bodies).

The relevant lawyer condition is satisfied in relation to a body if at least one manager of the body is—

For that purpose a qualifying body is a body in respect of which—

For the purposes of this section the following are legally qualified—

For the purposes of subsection (6)(f), a partnership is to be treated as the same partnership despite a change in membership, if any person who was a member before the change remains a member.

For the purposes of subsection (6)(f) and (g), the references in the pre-commencement conduct rules to a recognised body are to be construed as references to a body which was recognised under section 9 immediately before the commencement of subsection (6)(f) and (g).

The Society must make rules for the purposes of paragraph (h) of subsection (6) prescribing the requirements relating to management and control which must be satisfied by or in relation to a body for it to fall within that paragraph.

For the purposes of this section, the services condition is satisfied in relation to a body if the body provides only services which may be provided by a recognised body (having regard to rules under section 9(1A) and (1C)).

For the purposes of this section—

• "authorised person" has the same meaning as in section 9;

• ...

• "legal partnership" means a partnership in which a solicitor, a registered European lawyer or a recognised body is permitted to practise by virtue of rules made under section 31 of the Solicitors Act 1974 (c. 47), as those rules had effect immediately before the commencement of subsection (6)(f);

• "manager", in relation to a body, has the meaning given by section 9;

• "pre-commencement conduct rules" means rules under Part 2 of the Solicitors Act 1974 or section 9 of this Act, known as the Solicitors' Code of Conduct 2007, as those rules had effect immediately before the commencement of subsection (6)(f) and (g);

• "recognised body" has the same meaning as in section 9(subject to subsection (6B) above);

• "registered European lawyer" has the same meaning as in section 9;

• "shares" has the same meaning as for the purposes of Part 5 of the Legal Services Act 2007 (see sections 72 and 109 of that Act);

• "the Society" has the meaning given by section 87(1) of the Solicitors Act 1974;

• "specified" means specified in rules made by the Society;

and a person has an interest in a body if the person has an interest in the body for the purposes of section 9.