ABS licensing – solicitors and patent attorneys

Solicitors

It now looks as though the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) will not be in a position to be a designated licensing authority for Alternative Business Structures by the time they come into force on 6 October 2011. The delay is expected to be a few weeks and is dependent upon receiving parliamentary approval. The Council for Licensed Conveyancers, however, is expected to be ready to start licensing ABS on 6 October.

Patent attorneys

A CIPA / ITMA committee is looking into the possibility of IPReg becoming a licensing authority for ABS and believes it is important that member firms be regulated by an authority with specialist knowledge of the sector in which they operate.