Brokers are gearing up to buy solicitors' practices in anticipation of the publication of the Clementi Review, due this week.

Broker RAC Motoring Services head of legal practice Jonathan Gulliford said: "We want to be able to offer whatever legal services we can. We will either acquire a law firm or set one up."

Gulliford said that consumer law would be an area of particular interest for the company.

Legal expenses provider DAS is also looking at owning a law firm.

Norwich Union customer services director Simon Machell said that the review should enable closer working relationships between the insurer and lawyers.

Although this would stop short of buying them, he said.

Machell predicted strategic alliances with defendant and claimant lawyers to cut operational costs. "Some companies are like factories for claims and therefore have the ability to process claims more efficiently than us."