Compliance & Regulation
Law firm owner rebuked for caseworker supervision failure
A solicitor who failed to supervise an immigration caseworker in a matter which led the High Court to refer his firm to the Solicitors Regulation Authority has been rebuked.
Greens urge disciplinary action against lawyer MPs over rule of law threats
The Green Party has called for disciplinary action against solicitor and barrister MPs who vote for legislation which disregards the rule of law.
Traditional partnerships dying out as ABSs top 1,000
The traditional partnership is now the least popular form of law firm structure, while alternative business structures now make up more than 10% of all practices, new figures have shown.
BSB prosecutions of striking barristers “unlikely to succeed”
The Bar Standards Board would be “ill advised” to take disciplinary action against barristers who take part in the strike action over legal aid rates, as dozens of QCs complain about the Lord Chief Justice.
Lord Chief Justice and BSB warn striking barristers of disciplinary risks
The Bar Standards Board has told striking barristers that it will focus in particular on any harm caused, following the Lord Chief Justice’s warning that their actions may amount to misconduct
SRA seeks whistleblowing role as part of SLAPPs action
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is set to make it easier for law firm staff to blow the whistle on their employers, as part of its work on SLAPPs – of which it is investigating more than 20.
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.
Blog
Awaab’s Law phase 2: New hazards council tenants can now claim for
The conversation on housing disrepair is moving beyond damp and mould alone. With the rollout of phase 2 of Awaab’s Law, the scope of issues covered is expanding significantly,
Beyond PCP: Can regulators and lawyers work better together next time?
Nearly a decade after the Financial Conduct Authority began investigating the car finance industry, the story of the PCP commission scandal is still unfinished.
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.
