Compliance & Regulation
Barrister suspended after appearing in court when unauthorised – again
An experienced barrister who appeared in two courts without having a practising certificate has been suspended for four months, having been fined twice in previous years for the same offence.
Service provider hack sees 100GB of data stolen from top law firm
Global law firm Jones Day has reportedly had 100 gigabytes of data stolen, with some of it appearing on the dark web, after a third party that provides it with file transfer software was hacked.
Solicitor fell in love with architect of translation fraud
A solicitor who described how she fell in love with the architect of a translation fee fraud – who used her to facilitate it – has accepted that she had to be struck off.
CLC highlights compliance risks facing licensed conveyancers
Money laundering, buyer-funded developments, and acting for both sides are among the risks highlighted in the Council for Licensed Conveyancers’ first Compliance Risk Agenda.
Solicitor struck off for harassment convictions fails in appeal
A solicitor struck off after it emerged he had been convicted of harassing a woman in Norway nearly 20 years ago has failed in his challenge to the decision.
Solicitor lied to High Court in claim brought by former partner
A solicitor who lied to a High Court judge during the trial of a dispute with a former partner in his law firm has been struck off. The tribunal said the public would be “horrified” by his misconduct.
Rebuke for male solicitor handed caution for assaulting woman
A solicitor who received a caution for assault by beating a female family member has been rebuked by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. It accepted the conduct was “out of character”.
Solicitor who misled potential employer suspended indefinitely
A solicitor who twice misled a potential employer into believing he was still in a job – when in fact he had been sacked six months earlier – has been suspended indefinitely.
SRA: New areas of practice and legalised cannabis present AML risks
Firms getting into new areas of work because of the impact of Covid, along with handling funds generated through the legal sale of cannabis abroad, are among emerging money laundering risks.
Prospect of negative interest rates and law firm dilemma moves closer
The possibility of negative interest rates moved a step closer yesterday amid continuing uncertainty over whether law firms could pass on to clients the cost of holding their money.
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.
