The closure was prompted by the departure of partner Steven Lodge to join the Equality & Human Rights Commission in London. Its other two founding partners will remain in private practice: Karen Ashton joins Coventry Law Centre, to develop its public interest litigation, particularly in relation to the Care Act 2014; Alastair Wallace joins national firm Irwin Mitchell to lead its Birmingham office’s public law team.

In a statement, the firm referred to ‘an increasingly hostile environment for legal aid lawyers’. but stressed it was not being forced to close for financial reasons.

PLS was involved in the recent successful challenge over judicial review payments (see page 6). The firm was founded in 2003.

Community care law update, page 24.