Compliance & Regulation
Solicitors sanctioned after drugs and dangerous driving convictions
A solicitor who was convicted of drug-driving and possession of cocaine, MDMA and cannabis has been fined £10,000, while another has been rebuked after being convicted of dangerous driving.
Fine for law firm that acted on both sides of development agreement
A law firm that at different times acted for either side of a development agreement it drafted, including on a dispute between the two parties, has been fined by the SRA.
Legal Services Act with us for “one or two decades” more, LSB chief says
It is “highly over-optimistic” to think the Legal Services Act will be reformed or replaced by the government in the next couple of years, the chief executive of the Legal Services Board has warned.
High Court rejects struck-off solicitor’s bid to return to roll
The High Court has rejected an appeal from a struck-off solicitor whose application to be restored to the roll was refused by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal earlier this year.
“Honorable” solicitor and practice manager fined for misusing legal aid cash
A law firm owner and his practice manager have both been fined for mismanaging legal aid funds, although a tribunal found they were “honourably motivated”.
Solicitors “coercing” hospital patients into signing legal papers
Solicitors have been accused of visiting vulnerable patients in hospital wards in Leeds and “coercing” them into signing legal documents.
SRA bid for maximum £805,000 fine for solicitors “excessive and unjustified”
SRA plans to double the upper limit on fines for law firms to 5% of turnover and to £805,000 for individuals are “excessive and unjustified”, the Law Society has argued.
Complaints to SRA can constitute acts of stalking, Court of Appeal rules
Complaints to a lawyer’s employer and professional regulator can amount to acts of stalking, the Court of Appeal has ruled in a case where a senior government lawyer was targeted.
Solicitor’s “blind spot” led to vulnerable client being defrauded
A very experienced solicitor who showed a “complete blind spot” with regard to his obligations to ‘know your client’ and recognise the risks of conveyancing fraud has been suspended for a year.
Criminal solicitor fined £40k for pro bono work in family dispute
A criminal solicitor who helped out a friend in a family law dispute pro bono has been fined £40,000 for how he conducted the case, which “detrimentally impacted” all those involved.
Blog
The SRA needs to admit it got it wrong about SLAPPs
The High Court judgment in Ashley Hurst v SRA in January raises serious questions about the regulator’s approach to allegations of SLAPP-like behaviour.
Why menopause support belongs on every law firm’s agenda
Progression in the law slows significantly as women approach senior leadership. Most will be at the height of their careers around the average age menopause symptoms begin.
Law firms need to go beyond document checks
At the root of every failed compliance review is a familiar phrase: a calm assertion of “but we did a document check”.
