Compliance & Regulation
Solicitor cleared of most allegations against him fails in costs bid
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has rejected a bid by a solicitor cleared of most of the allegations made against him for a contribution to the £143,000 he spent defending himself.
Law firms “not being held to account for toxic cultures”
Law firms are not being held to account for “toxic” work cultures, particularly where there is a lot of pressure on young lawyers, a leading expert on regulation has said.
Solicitor misled hundreds into investing £19m in failed claims scheme
A solicitor who misled hundreds of investors and attracted £19m to bring claims for miscalculated mortgage payments – none of which succeeded – has been struck off.
Owners of closed law firms told: Find extra run-off cover – if you can
Owners of law firms that closed down in the last 20 years have been warned that they face a difficult task in finding insurance to replace the automatic supplementary run-off cover that ends later this year.
“I totally cracked” – law firm founder struck off for client money theft
The founder of new-model law firm Cubism Law has explained how he “totally cracked” under the pressure of its financial problems, leading him to dishonestly misappropriate client funds.
SDT: Drink-drive solicitor did not automatically undermine public trust
A solicitor convicted of drink-driving after a motorbike accident did not automatically undermine public trust in the profession, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has ruled.
Profession has struggled with AML rules, says firm fined £10,000
A Surrey law firm has been fined £10,000 for breaches of the anti-money laundering rules in its training, approach to risk assessment and in a conveyancing transaction which produced £850 in fees.
Solicitor struck off for “sophisticated” Land Registry fraud
A solicitor jailed for more than three years for forging Land Registry documents in a family dispute with the owners of a Newcastle takeaway has been struck off.
SRA bid to cut Compensation Fund payout cap facing rejection
Controversial Solicitors Regulation Authority plans to cut the maximum award from its Compensation Fund from £2m to £500,000 are facing rejection by the Legal Services Board.
SRA backs new cyber-losses clause for indemnity policies
The extent to which losses caused by cyber attacks are covered by law firms’ professional indemnity insurance policies is to be clarified by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
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.
