The Law Society has agreed to fund an opinion from counsel on whether a Hertfordshire firm can sue Santander and Lloyds Banking Group after being removed from their conveyancing panels.

Paul Judkins, a partner at Judkins, said more than 50 firms had contacted him to express support for his claim. He is seeking financial help from firms in a similar position that may wish to contribute towards the next stage of the possible legal action.

Judkins, a two-partner firm with offices in Hertford and Cheshunt, was removed from the Santander and Lloyds panels, but has been reinstated to the Lloyds panel.

A Law Society spokeswoman said: ‘The Society has a commitment to helping individual members explore points of law that have general importance for the profession, so we are planning to offer funding to Mr Judkins to finance challenging removals from lenders’ panels.

‘We have undertaken a great deal of work on this, but if there are new points worth exploring we are keen to do so.’

Santander and Lloyds said the panels had been rationalised to remove firms that undertook no or very little work, and firms had a right of appeal.