Paul Gilbert, the chairman of the Law Society's Commerce & Industry (C&I) Group, has made a plea to the Law Society for extra funding to reflect the in-house sector's higher profile.

The call came after Gilbert, head of legal at Cheltenham & Gloucester, and C&I Group vice president Edward Smethurst, met with Law Society president Michael Mathews, vice president Robert Sayer and deputy vice president Kamlesh Bahl last week.

Asked how much extra funding the group would be looking for, Gilbert replied: "I can't put a figure on it at the moment." Gilbert said he was encouraged by the support he had received from the three office-holders.