Compliance & Regulation
SRA rule change “does not stop law firms invoicing in advance”
Amendments to the Standards & Regulations will not stop law firms invoicing clients in advance and transferring the money into their office accounts, the SRA has said.
Solicitors sanctioned for putting wives’ interests ahead of client’s
Two solicitors who paid their wives to clean a vault under the terms of a trust they oversaw preferred their interests over those of the trust and its beneficiary, the SDT has found.
SRA intervenes in two law firm groups made up of 12 firms
The Solicitors Regulation Authority last week intervened in a group consisting of eight law firms after the primary business went into administration, as well as another group with four firms.
Big firms to assess impact of their advice on climate change
A group of eight major law firms have pledged to “understand the impact” of their advice on climate change and raised the possibility of not acting in matters that increase global warming.
GCHQ: Nation states and hacktivists pose cyber-threat to legal sector
Nation states and hacktivists are cyber threats to law firms in addition to criminals, the government’s National Cyber Security Centre as warned.
Client biases “help explain” number of BAME solicitors in SRA’s sights
Bias among those who make complaints and the types of firms BAME solicitors work for might explain why they are overrepresented in disciplinary activity, researchers have suggested.
Solicitor misled client and sent SRA faked documents
A solicitor who misled his client about the progress of her employment claim and then sent the Solicitors Regulation Authority fabricated documents to back up his position has been struck off.
Solicitor struck off for deception over money that was never missing
A solicitor who complained to his bank about a missing transfer of £189,000 has been struck off because the money was never there and he faked various documents to back up his case.
Chambers offered to “carry me up stairs” to pupillage interview
A barrister with a spinal cord injury has described how a set of chambers, despite being told in advance that he was disabled, offered to carry him up the stairs to a pupillage interview.
Solicitor successfully appeals rebuke issued by SRA
A solicitor has had a rare success in successfully appealing a rebuke issued by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, which had found him vicariously responsible for errors by his bookkeepers.
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.
