ABOUT US
PNCR Legal, a niche consulting company, provides much needed expert independent advice and support at a time of considerable change in the legal profession. Admitted as a solicitor 25 years ago, director Tim Prior has over 20 years experience of professional negligence, professional indemnity insurance, operational risk management (as it affects law firms and other professionals) and training for law firms and other professionals.
Tim is a contributing author to LexisPSL on risk and compliance issues and is a regular speaker at Law Society and CLT events. He is a member of the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme Assessment Panel and is risk consultant to the scheme.
Tim was admitted as a solicitor in 1986 and has specialised in negligence and compliance issues since the late 1980s. The early 90s saw him training claims handlers at the compulsory mutual insurer the Solicitors Indemnity Fund on the avalanche of lenders’ claims that ultimately proved SIF’s downfall.
In recent years he has worked predominantly with international law firms and other top 100 firms but has also worked with smaller niche firms, advising on their negligence claims and other risk and compliance issues, sharing the benefit of his experience through seminars and workshops.
He is accredited by the Law Society of England & Wales as a Lexcel consultant. He still holds a Practising Certificate but is technically a non-practising solicitor as PNCR Legal is not a law firm.
Tim is a Fellow of the Institute of Risk Management and chairman of its Legal Risk Special Interest Group which holds meetings and seminars on topical issues.
Over the years he has worked with regulators and representative bodies and has worked with training organisations such as the College of Law and CLT. A regular speaker at both national and local Law Society events and at CLT conferences, he has also contributed to many LNTV training programmes.
At a time of great change in the legal profession, Tim has been actively involved in key developments. He participated in the Law Society’s PII subgroup review of PII insurance following the 2009 renewal season and gave evidence to Nick Smedley’s review of legal regulation. He has also been actively involved in consultations on ABSs with the College of Law and the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
In the run up to the 2010 PII renewal season he has worked closely with the Law Society of England & Wales, being their keynote speaker for a series of PII renewal seminars at 14 venues in England & Wales. He is also an associate consultant in their Risk and Compliance service which was launched in 2010.
Tim also advises other professionals, particularly chartered surveyors, architects, construction professionals and accountants. He has delivered lectures for the RICS on risk management issues and was a speaker at their first risk management conference. He has helped trainee surveyors start on the right track through annual guest lectures delivered at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester.
