Compliance & Regulation
LSB delays decision on new breed of accountant probate providers
The Legal Services Board has given itself more time to decide on whether to approve a new breed of law firm created by CILEx Regulation and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
Law firm fined £18,000 for working with struck-off solicitor
An alternative business structure has been fined £18,000 for working with a struck-off solicitor without the approval of the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Solicitor told SRA client files were “locked in a safe in Pakistan”
A solicitor who told the Solicitors Regulation Authority that his firm’s client files were “locked in a safe in Pakistan”, and used client money to pay a VAT bill, has been struck off.
Cost of practising as a solicitor set to fall by 6.7%
The cost of practising as a solicitor is to fall by 6.7% in the coming year, although it may have to rise in future once the Law Society sets a new reserves policy.
Head of failed PI firm struck off for “double funding” cases
The director of a law firm who admitted taking money from two different litigation funders for the same cases in an attempt to keep it operating “at all costs” has been struck off.
Solicitor faces SRA probe over Taliban tweet
The solicitor for the family of Shamima Begum was at the centre of a social media storm yesterday over a tweet about the Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan.
Lawyers “must contact NCA immediately” before disclosing SARs
Lawyers compelled by the CPR or court order to reveal the contents or existence of suspicious activity reports must contact the National Crime Agency at the “first opportunity”, the Home Office has said.
Regulators forced to self-finance compensation funds
Two of the smaller legal regulators are having to self-finance their compensation funds after their insurer stopped providing cover, reducing the potential payouts as a result.
Solicitor finally faces disciplinary tribunal after 2015 rape conviction
A senior solicitor convicted more than six years ago of raping a teenager is finally facing the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, it emerged yesterday.
Law Society prepares guidance on Supreme Court undertakings ruling
The Law Society is to issue guidance on last month’s Supreme Court ruling on solicitors’ undertakings, which a legal regulation expert said has left conveyancers “very much in a mire”.
Blog
It’s time for law firms to ask tougher questions
For years, many law firms have treated ID verification as a box-ticking exercise. Run a liveness check, match a face to a document and move on. But that is no longer good enough.
Business fatigue to AI will risk job security
Whilst we know professional learning has always been part of career paths, to hire, retain and keep talent, AI needs to be embedded as a core part of this training.
On good authority? GenAI and the reputational risks to law firms
As GenAI’s influence grows, so do the risks which are already playing out in courtrooms across England and Wales, where some early adopters are setting precedents they would rather not.
