Compliance & Regulation
Confusion reigns as 600-person law firm group suddenly shuts
A group employing 600 people across multiple law firms and offices around the country suddenly closed its doors this week, sparking widespread uncertainty and confusion.
Cost of SRA investigation and enforcement work soars to £23m
The amount of money spent by the Solicitors Regulation Authority on investigations and enforcement has spiralled by 61% over six years, new figures have shown.
In-house lawyer who lied on CVs to “create a persona” struck off
An in-house lawyer who said he lied on a number of CVs to create “a persona that he thought was required for a role in private practice” has been struck off.
Fine for law firm that allowed $23m to go through client account
A law firm run by an ex-Law Society president has been fined £68,000 for anti-money laundering failures, including allowing $23m to pass through its client account with no underlying legal work.
MoJ client account interest plan a “stealth tax on legal services”
The Ministry of Justice’s plan to use client account interest to fund its work is “nothing more than a stealth tax on legal services”, according to the first public response to its consultation.
Tribunal: AI use adds to doubts over would-be lawyer’s integrity
A legal practice course graduate seeking authorisation as an immigration adviser raised concerns about his integrity by citing fake cases generated by ChatGPT, a tribunal has ruled.
LSB, APIL and Law Centres Federation to intervene in Mazur
The Legal Services Board, the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, and the Law Centres Federation have all been granted permission to intervene in next month’s Mazur appeal.
Solicitor struck off for selling property without co-owner’s knowledge
A solicitor who sold a property he part-owned without the knowledge of his co-owner has been struck off, with the SDT finding he was “primarily motivated” by resentment.
Lawyers sign letter to Starmer calling for “universal” anti-SLAPPs law
A group of media lawyers, including newspaper general counsel and KCs, have put their names to an open letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer calling for stronger anti-SLAPP provisions.
Advice on conduct of litigation was not clear enough, LSB finds
Some of the information provided to lawyers over the years about the conduct of litigation was not clear enough, the Legal Services Board has concluded.
Blog
Mazur: a symptom not a cause?
If Mazur is a symptom, what does it mean for the underlying health of our civil justice system: the ‘finest legal system in the world’?
Cross-generation collaboration: the key to in-house legal tech adoption
In-house legal function leaders will increasingly have to evolve their thinking on how to manage multigenerational teams containing differing levels of technological expertise.
AI and law firm risk – the view of professional indemnity insurers
In considering law firm applications for cover, many insurers will expect to see evidence of how firms are adapting to AI and preparing for the future.
