Compliance & Regulation
SQE delivering diverse cohort of students, figures show
The Solicitors Qualifying Examination is attracting a diverse range of candidates, with 35% from an ethnic minority and 37% from ‘less privileged’ backgrounds.
High Court rejects law firm’s challenge to costly LeO decision
The High Court has refused a law firm permission to challenge a decision of the Legal Ombudsman which cost it over £115,000 in compensation and reduced costs.
SRA issues ‘no win, no fee’ warning to counter poor behaviour
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has issued a warning notice on the use of ‘no win, no fee’ agreements in high-volume consumer claims amid multiple concerns about their misuse.
SDT draws line where solicitors should stop acting for clients
Doubts about a client’s truthfulness is not a good reason for solicitors to stop acting, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has stressed.
SRA ordered to pay solicitor £50k in costs after failed prosecution
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has been ordered to pay a solicitor exonerated by a disciplinary tribunal £50,000 in costs.
GCs call on Law Society to withdraw whistleblowing guidance
A network of female general counsel has called on the Law Society to withdraw whistleblowing guidance for in-house lawyers, arguing that it “entrenches the longstanding bias against reporting”.
Strike off for solicitor who told colleague to lie
A family law solicitor who asked a newly qualified legal executive to lie to a litigant in person, having already lied to him herself, has been struck off.
Partner used client money to pay his tax bill
A partner at a London law firm responsible for dozens of unauthorised transfers from client account worth nearly £1.2m – in part to pay his tax bill – has been struck off.
Treasury urged to exempt conveyancers from tax adviser registration
The government has been urged to reconsider plans to make conveyancers register individually with HM Revenue & Customs as tax advisers because they deal with SDLT.
Head of property certified ID documents without seeing them
The head of commercial property at a law firm who certified a client’s ID documents as true and complete copies without seeing the originals has been struck off.
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.
