Compliance & Regulation
Costs lawyers urged to play bigger role in “out of control” market
The whole profession needs to address “out of control” legal costs, a major new report has concluded, but costs lawyers have a significant role to play in exerting downward pressure on them.
SRA reports £161m of suspect transactions by law firms to NCA
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has reported £161m worth of suspect transactions involving the profession to the National Crime Agency, with failures to check the source of funds the main trigger.
Family specialists choose employee ownership over acquisition
The founders of a specialist family law firm have spurned potential acquirors to transfer it instead into an employee ownership trust, saying the move sends a positive signal to would-be staff.
Solicitor who let one mistake “snowball” fined by tribunal
A solicitor who let one mistake on a property sale snowball so that it affected multiple transactions in a portfolio has been fined £10,000 – even though he preferred to be struck off.
Solicitor struck off for blue badge misuse fails in High Court appeal
A solicitor who used a disabled badge that did not belong to him nine times to park near his law firm has failed in his appeal against being struck off.
Partner suspended over gift from client and seeking introduction fee
A former partner at listed law firm Gateley has been suspended for a year after accepting a £2,500 cash gift from a client and later asking the client for an introduction fee.
Vulnerable clients struggle in face of “cold, clinical and chaotic” lawyers
Vulnerable clients are being disadvantaged by the “cold, clinical and chaotic manner” in which they are treated by some lawyers, a report for the Legal Services Board has found.
Barrister failed to justify direct access client’s £420,000 bill
A direct access barrister who failed to justify fees for herself and a colleague of £420,000 plus VAT for a divorce hearing has been fined £5,000 by a Bar disciplinary tribunal.
Barrister suspended for telling jury that judge was talking “rubbish”
A barrister who described a judge’s summary of a witness’s evidence as “absolute rubbish” and asked if the judge was giving evidence has been suspended for four months.
SRA should be able to fine much more than £25,000, LSB tells Raab
The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s fining powers should go “considerably beyond” the proposed increase to £25,000, the Legal Services Board has told the Lord Chancellor.
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”.
