Compliance & Regulation
Law firms “could switch regulator” to evade financial mis-selling fee cap
Law firms have been told that moves to switch regulators to avoid fee caps being introduced for handling financial services mis-selling claims will be closely monitored.
Employment can offer barristers more ethical protection
Being employed by companies or law firms can give barristers more protection when faced with ethical challenges than those in private practice, it has been suggested.
SRA issues M&A warning to law firm buyers and sellers
Solicitors have been warned by their regulator about undertaking adequate due diligence on mergers and acquisitions and putting client interests first when striking the deal.
Law firm fined for allowing COFA to steal £157,000
A law firm whose compliance officer for finance and administration stole £157,000 has been fined for not having proper systems governing payments from client account.
Solicitor rebuked for leaving client unrepresented at hearing
A solicitor who withdrew from a Family Court hearing over a fee dispute so late that he left his client no chance to find a replacement has been rebuked by the SRA.
Suspension for senior partner who had sex in the office
A male senior partner found guilty of multiple instances of sexual misconduct in the office with junior female staff – including having sex with one on a desk – has been suspended for two years.
Lawyers and law firms “need to talk much more about integrity”
Lawyers and law firms should be “actively” reflecting on and talking about integrity “much more” than they currently do or appear to do, a leading legal academic has argued.
FSCS wrongly tells law firm clients their solicitors are unauthorised
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme has admitted writing to law firm clients and wrongly informing them that their solicitors were no longer authorised.
High Court judge “compromised integrity” with CA application
A High Court judge has been given a formal warning after it emerged that he had seen an independent assessment written for his application to join the Court of Appeal.
Second solicitor to face tribunal over “threatening” vaccine letters
A solicitor accused of baselessly threatening legal proceedings over the Covid vaccine is to face the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
Blog
The SRA’s client money reforms: good intentions, questionable execution
On the face of it, the SRA’s plans to tighten protections around client money sounds sensible. The detail, as ever, tells a more complicated story.
Recruitment, retention and reward in the legal accounts world
Understanding the legal finance market is important – not just for those actively involved in it day-to-day but also for leaders within law firms.
From ‘year zero’ to £6.5m – how a law firm found its second life
In 2018, I hit what I call ‘year zero’. On paper, Olliers Solicitors was a top-tier criminal defence firm but beneath the surface, I could see we were at a crossroads.
