Hopes that the legal profession would eagerly embrace new business structures created by the Legal Services Act have received a blow with the news that only a handful of firms have applied to be part of the first wave of reforms.

With only three weeks left before the proposed ‘go live’ date, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has had just four applications from law firms seeking to become legal disciplinary practices (LDPs), the Gazette has learned.

LDPs will be a new type of legal practice, employing a mix of solicitors and barristers. Up to one quarter of partners may be professionals other than lawyers.

Meanwhile, the Bar Standards Board said this week that it did not expect to be able to complete draft regulations for implementing the structural reforms until June – three months after LDPs are supposed to come into being.

‘We don’t know why [the response] has been so low,’ an SRA spokesman said. ‘I think we were anticipating more last autumn. It’s possible that the economic climate has damaged interest.’

The originator of the reforms, Lord Falconer of Thoroton (pictured), who as Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs instructed Sir David Clementi to undertake his review of regulation, played down suggestions that the response is disappointing. ‘I would envisage more people will make an application,’ he told the Gazette. ‘I think the critical thing will be people seeing it work and then making up their own mind.’ The BSB said it is holding a second consultation on whether barristers should be allowed to participate in LDPs, and what changes to its code of conduct would be required. A spokeswoman said the BSB does not expect to finish considering responses until June, after which draft regulations will be sent to the Ministry of Justice for approval.

In the meantime, the BSB said it might allow barristers to participate in LDPs by granting waivers to parts of the bar's code of conduct.