Compliance & Regulation
Solicitor who plundered client account struck off – and now has unregulated firm
A solicitor who plundered his firm’s client account for nearly £400,000, while failing to redeem a mortgage or pay stamp duty as required, has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
Solicitor who “juggled” client funds struck off
A solicitor who tried to “juggle” client money to meet her firm’s needs, and to claim that purchases from a cosmetics website were for the business, has been struck off.
Solicitor’s wrongdoing “not a shield” for employee misconduct
A solicitor’s misconduct cannot negate a non-solicitor employee’s misconduct or shield them from being banned from working for law firms, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has ruled.
Beckwith ruling “failed to deliver clarity” on lawyers’ private lives
The High Court’s much-debated ruling on former Freshfields partner Ryan Beckwith “does little to offer any useful clarity” on the boundary between solicitors’ professional and personal lives, a white paper has argued. The paper, produced by regulation specialists at City… Read More
Solicitor and unadmitted wife reprimanded over work on client files
A former solicitor who had access to the files of matters he had referred to his conveyancing manager wife has been given the lowest-level sanction by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal
High-profile City litigator struck off for misusing client money
A high-profile City litigator has been struck off for using a client’s divorce settlement to fund his ventures to pursue digital dispute resolution. A tribunal rejected his claim that the client had agreed to it.
SRA “needs to monitor” enforcement staff more closely
The Solicitors Regulation Authority spends too much time on diversity training and monitoring, and not enough on assuring that its enforcement staff act in a non-biased way, it has been claimed.
Solicitor who submitted false oath agrees to leave profession
A former partner at a Yorkshire law firm who submitted a false statement to the probate court as part of the oath for executors has agreed to leave the profession.
SDT clears pro-Beijing lawyer over “kill protestors” allegation
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has rejected allegations that a pro-Beijing lawyer and politician based in Hong Kong called for pro-independence protestors to be “killed mercilessly”.
Law Society president steps down ahead of SDT hearing
The president of the Law Society is to step down later this month in the wake of a High Court ruling that the SDT was wrong to dismiss a prosecution brought against him by a former client.
Blog
How unstoppable AI is reshaping UK legal practice
At a time when most technology innovation still flows from the US and China, UK lawtech is attracting growing international attention and capital.
Modern vehicles: new injury profiles and new legal challenges
As the number of electric vehicles on UK roads continues to grow year-on-year, it is important to address the risks that come with their increased adoption.
The SRA needs to admit it got it wrong about SLAPPs
The High Court judgment in Ashley Hurst v SRA in January raises serious questions about the regulator’s approach to allegations of SLAPP-like behaviour.
