Compliance & Regulation
Incorrect precedent led to wrong ground rent advice for 115 clients
A solicitor who gave 115 clients the wrong advice about the ground rent provisions in the leases of properties they were buying – because of an incorrect precedent – has been fined £15,000.
BSB steps up anti-bullying work but says Bar culture must change
The Bar Standards Board is to step up efforts to encourage more reporting of bullying and harassment but says ultimately the onus is on the Bar to change its culture.
“No appetite” among law firms for transparency quality mark
There is “no real appetite” among consumer law firms for an accreditation scheme or other recognition denoting the quality of their transparency, a report has found.
Profession backs SIF but SRA “can save £500k” with new scheme
The majority of respondents to the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s discussion paper on post-six-year run-off cover supported retaining the Solicitors Indemnity Fund, it has emerged.
City solicitor avoids jail after criminal contempt finding
A senior City partner who told a client to “burn” a private messaging app after it was served with a search order has avoided jail for criminal contempt of court, in part because of the impact on his career.
Pass rates – and racial disparities – steady in second sitting of SQE1
The results for the second sitting of SQE1 – part of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination – show the exact same pass rate as the first, and the continuing racial disparity.
SRA allows struck-off solicitor to join firm after opposing return to roll
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has allowed a struck-off solicitor to work for a law firm, having successfully opposed his bid to return to the roll earlier this year.
Solicitor had cannabis at courthouse to help with Covid anxiety
A solicitor caught with cannabis in a court building, which he said he had to calm his anxiety after the start of lockdown in 2020, has been censured for his misconduct.
Ex-solicitor labelled “disgrace to profession” refused return to practice
A former solicitor, labelled a “dishonest crook, swindler and cheat” by a Crown Court judge 14 years ago after being convicted of assisting illegal immigration, will not be returning to practice.
UK law firms banned from handling transactional work for Russians
UK law firms will be unable to provide “transactional legal advisory services” to Russians after the government ratcheted up the sanctions regime yet further.
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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