The Law Society’s reform agenda has been dealt a blow by its own council today (16 October) when members defied the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and voted against proposals to allow solicitors to pay referral fees.

The vote puts the society into conflict with the OFT which, it emerged this week, has already warned Chancery Lane that it plans to pursue a case under UK competition law if the rules on fee sharing are not liberalised.