Compliance & Regulation
Fine for solicitor who acted on both sides in “undue influence” house sale
A solicitor acted for both sides in a house sale at an undervalue between a 78-year-old woman and her 34-year-old boyfriend, which was set aside by the High Court on the grounds of undue influence.
Solicitors who misused £1m raised from loan notes struck off
Two solicitors who issued £1m in loan notes to prop up their firm have been struck off for misusing the money and leaving their investors nursing huge losses.
Ban for accountant jailed over £400k theft from major City law firm
A management accountant jailed for stealing £400,000 from a major City law firm over six years has now been banned from working in the legal profession.
Solicitor paid away £290k of sale proceeds after falling for email fraud
A veteran solicitor who was tricked by an email fraud to pay out £290,000 in proceeds from a conveyancing transaction to a third party has been fined £10,000.
Petition calls for SRA to allow unsolicited approaches online
A solicitor has begun a petition urging the Solicitors Regulation Authority to allow firms to make unsolicited approaches to consumers online, saying the blanket ban goes too far.
Tribunal rejects solicitor appeal against £1,000 SRA fine
A tribunal has rejected an appeal by a solicitor against a £1,000 fine imposed by the SRA for breaching a written agreement he made during probate litigation.
Ex-Wolstenholmes partner allowed to return to law firm ownership
A former partner at Wolstenholmes – the conveyancing firm whose catastrophic collapse cost the profession £13m – can become a partner once more after a ban was removed.
Solicitor struck off after contempt finding allowed to return to profession
A solicitor who was struck off more than 20 years ago after being found in contempt of court and breach of undertakings to the High Court, has been restored to the roll.
Solicitor who lied about lost documents wins SDT rehearing
A junior solicitor struck off last year after she left confidential documents in a locked case on a train is to have a retrial to reconsider the impact of her mental health on her actions.
Junior solicitor who lied to opponent “in blind panic” avoids strike-off
A newly qualified solicitor who said she was “blinded by panic” when she lied about sending an email containing personal data to the wrong person, has been spared a strike-off.
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.
