In brief: IBA survey shows MDPs spread worldwide

An international survey has revealed the widespread existence of multi-disciplinary practices across the globe. The survey of 120 member countries of the International Bar Association was unveiled at its conference in Berlin last week. In the survey, 72 per cent of the countries reported MDPs in their jurisdictions, even though such arrangements were permitted in only a third of them. According to the preliminary results of the survey, which was conducted by the IBA's new MDP committee, 41 per cent of the countries reported legal services provided by banks, 34 per cent said insurance companies offered legal services and 55 per cent said they were provided by accountants in their country.