Compliance & Regulation
Solicitor misled law firm and SRA about driving convictions
A solicitor who made misleading statements to his law firm and the SRA about convictions for drink-driving and driving while disqualified has been struck off.
SRA to urge big firms to report ethnicity pay gap
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to encourage large law firms to start reporting their ethnicity pay gap and introduce ‘exit questionnaires’ for solicitors leaving the profession.
Solicitor who misled court fails in appeal against strike-off
A former partner at leading US firm Gibson Dunn & Crutcher found by a High Court judge to have deliberately misled the court has failed in his appeal against being struck off.
Tribunal refuses to allow return to practice for suspended solicitor
A solicitor suspended from practice almost a decade ago has been refused re-entry to the profession due to doubts about whether he is ready for it.
Ukraine crisis exposes law firms “going too far” in clients’ interests
Some law firms have gone too far in pursuing their clients’ interests, but the need for solicitors to act in the public interest as well is becoming more important, a debate on the impact of the Ukraine crisis heard.
Suspension for prosecutor who accessed files about ex-wife’s partner
A former senior Crown prosecutor who was convicted of unlawfully accessing files relating to convictions of his ex-wife’s partner has been suspended from practice.
Government puts focus on SRA over solicitors handling SLAPPs
Addressing so-called SLAPPs is “a behavioural issue requiring regulatory interventions” against lawyers as much as using legislation, the government has said.
Solicitor intercepted complaint about her work sent to firm’s COLP
A solicitor who intercepted a complaint about her sent to her firm’s compliance officer for legal practice, and then replied from his email address, has been struck off.
Call for “robust plan” to tackle lawyer incompetence in high-risk areas
The Legal Services Consumer Panel has called for a “robust plan” to tackle incompetence by lawyers in “high-risk areas”, such as immigration and criminal advocacy.
“Mmm, I like what I see” – solicitor made sexual comments to interviewee
A male law firm owner has been fined for saying “mmm, I like what I see” to a young woman applying for a paralegal position and telling her he only employed “beautiful women”.
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”.
