Compliance & Regulation
Solicitor redacted witness statements to cover up mistakes
A solicitor has been struck off after redacting witness statements to cover up actions he had taken, including agreeing that his client would pay costs, without her knowledge.
LSB questions ‘one size fits all’ approach to indemnity insurance
The diversity of the legal services sector means the one-size-fits-all approach to professional indemnity insurance adopted by its regulators “may not be the most appropriate”.
ICO reprimands law firm over data breach that saw money stolen
The Information Commissioner’s Office has reprimanded a law firm after a cyber-attack led to a data breach and four fraudulent payments being made on a probate matter.
Solicitor struck off for taking loan from client and trying to conceal it
A veteran solicitor who borrowed £25,000 from a client to help prop up his firm and then tried to hide it from the Solicitors Regulation Authority as fees paid on account has been struck off.
SRA intervenes into practice of Axiom Ince boss
The boss of Axiom Ince, the law firm that recently bought both Ince & Co and Plexus Legal out of administration, is under investigation by the SRA for possible dishonesty.
CILEX unveils plans for SRA-regulated ‘chartered lawyers’
CILEX has unveiled plans to introduce new ‘chartered lawyer’ and ‘chartered litigator’ titles at the same time as switching regulator from CILEx Regulation Ltd to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
SRA: Solicitors “routinely underestimate” risks in NDAs
The risks and consequences arising from non-disclosure agreements are routinely underestimated and rarely explored by solicitors, a major review has found.
SDT anticipates more cases on “toxic” law firm cultures
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal expects to see more cases involving “toxic and anachronistic” work cultures, and more appeals against the SRA’s use of its higher fining powers.
SRA: Shutting Daily Mail sting firms was not due to political pressure
The boss of the SRA said today that the decision to shut down three law firms caught in a Daily Mail undercover sting had nothing to do with the political pressure that followed.
CILEX advocate sets up personal injury firm regulated by BSB
A personal injury specialist has become one of the first CILEX advocates to set up a law firm regulated by the Bar Standards Board, providing county court advocacy services.
Blog
Accountability has to live within governance, not with one person
The assumption has long been that a COLP or COFA is personally exposed to the consequences of anti-money laundering breaches.
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.
