Compliance & Regulation
Employee diverted client’s stamp duty refund to herself
A law firm employee who diverted a client’s stamp duty refund to herself – via an unwitting friend’s bank account – has been barred from the profession.
SRA lays out scale of Post Office investigations
The Solicitors Regulation Authority revealed yesterday that it has more than 20 live investigations into solicitors and law firms involved in the Post Office scandal.
Ban for office manager who used client money to prop up firm
The SRA has imposed a control order on a law firm’s office manager who took money from client account to pay wages and “prop” up the practice.
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.
Blog
How does the legal profession become neuroinclusive?
My learning journey as mum to an autistic son with profound additional needs completely changed the way in which I work as a child protection lawyer.
The real cure for inequality at law firms? Listening
How can men, as one male panellist put it, “get out of the way of people coming up through the ranks?”
Most of these conversations only happen after the men leave the room.
Andy Burnham and the Hillsborough Law: should solicitors be worried?
Now that Andy Burnham has become prime minister, the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, otherwise known as the Hillsborough Law, will receive a real boost of political capital.
