Compliance & Regulation
Solicitor had “massive holes” in accounts knowledge
A law firm owner who admitted having “massive holes” in her knowledge of the accounts rules has been fined £5,000 after letting a £41,000 shortfall build up on client account.
Solicitor struck off for single incident of “manifest incompetence”
A solicitor whose incompetence enabled the transfer of an elderly man’s property to fraudsters for no consideration has been struck off, even although it was a single incident in a 19-year career.
SRA uses enhanced fining power for the first time with £15,000 penalty
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has used its enhanced fining power for the first time, imposing a £15,000 fine on a solicitor who failed clients subject to deputyship orders.
Barrister jailed for child sex offences disbarred
A barrister convicted of multiple child sex offences last year and jailed for three and a half years has now been disbarred. He did not know the children he had contacted were not real.
MPs back tougher economic crime fines and oversight for lawyers
MPs have backed giving the Solicitors Regulation Authority unlimited fining powers in cases of economic crime, as well as a new regulatory objective for the Legal Services Act.
Bar Council piles pressure on BSB over Dinah Rose case
The Bar Council has taken the unusual step of criticising the Bar Standards Board for its “unacceptable and inexcusable” handling of a complaint against Dinah Rose KC.
Quarter of firms in SRA review of immigration work face disciplinary action
Ten of the 40 law firms that took part in a Solicitors Regulation Authority review of immigration services have been referred for possible disciplinary action after it found “significant shortcomings”.
BSB apologises to top KC over handling of complaint against her
The Bar Standards Board has issued an apology to leading silk Dinah Rose for its handling of a complaint against her and suggesting she might have been reckless in her conduct.
Solicitors facing ethical disclosure decisions “need more SRA help”
The SRA’s guidance on disclosing confidential information “inappropriately discourages” lawyers from reporting serious misconduct and risks of harm, it has been claimed.
Solicitor struck off after tribunal refuses to go behind US plea deal
A solicitor convicted in the US of conspiracy to commit securities fraud has been struck off after a tribunal refused his attempt to explain why he signed a plea deal.
Blog
The new metrics for success in conveyancing
While technology has made much of the conveyancing process faster, there remains a practical limit to how many matters anyone can manage while still keeping standards intact.
The UK legal market is polarising – and the middle is disappearing
Consolidation and the boutique boom are not contradictory. They are the same market stretching apart at both ends – and it changes what your firm is worth, and to whom.
Conveyancing’s consistency problem is about pressure, not skills
When I qualified, a conveyancer had perhaps 10 or 12 plates to keep spinning. Today’s conveyancers have 20 or 30, and almost none of the room for error I had starting out.
Reports
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