Compliance & Regulation
Fraud, overbilling and more – SRA bans non-solicitors over misconduct
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has banned a string of non-solicitors from working in the profession, with issues like theft, overbilling and fabricating documents among the causes.
Male barrister suspended for groping female clerk and trainee solicitor
A male barrister who groped a female clerk from his chambers and a female trainee from his main instructing solicitors while on a Friday night out has been suspended for a year.
QC criticises “partisan” City law firm over advice given to RICS
A QC has heavily criticised City law firm Fieldfisher over the advice it gave the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) during a governance crisis.
£50k fine for partner at leading firm who “recreated” letters
An equity partner at a leading law firm who recreated documents he thought had been sent, but passed them off as copies of the originals, has been fined £50,000.
Jail for lawyer who defrauded employers of £600,000
A lawyer who defrauded the Commonwealth Secretariat and law firm Cooley out of over £600,000 has been jailed for seven and a half years.
Treat personal mitigation “with caution” in cases of sexual misconduct
Personal mitigation needs to be treated with “caution” in the context of sexual misconduct, discrimination and harassment, draft new guidance on disciplining barristers warns.
Law firm was akin to “slow-motion car crash”, tribunal finds
A law firm owner’s failures turned his practice into a “complete shambles” which was “akin to a slow-motion car crash occurring over a number of years”, the SDT has found.
Post Office scandal inquiry urged to put more focus on the lawyers
The inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal has been urged to put more focus on the role of lawyers in perpetuating the organisation’s intransigence over the IT system’s problems.
Barrister apprenticeships a “viable option”, specialist argues
Apprenticeships are a “viable option” to qualification as a barrister, but they would need collaboration between the Bar Standards Board, education providers and the Bar, a new paper has argued.
Leading firm rebuked for letting £21m pass through client account
A leading south-coast law firm that allowed its client account to be used as a banking facility, with £21m passing through it, has been rebuked.
Blog
Santa’s Costa Living Crisis
It’s almost 25 December, so it must be time for the annual Christmas blog from Nigel Wallis, consultant solicitor at O’Connors Legal Services.
Five golden links for a caring Christmas and New Year
This time of year always sharpens thoughts about how we look after and support elderly clients and those, elderly or otherwise, who find themselves in vulnerable circumstances.
Amplifying reach through employee-driven thought leadership
Nine in 10 executives believe thought leadership is critical to building authority, yet only a quarter feel they have implemented a robust strategy.
