Compliance & Regulation
Solicitor who lied to new employer struck off
A solicitor who lied when she told her new employer that she was not under investigation by the Solicitors Regulation Authority has been struck off.
Solicitor who sold firm’s letterhead for £10 a case is struck off
A solicitor has been struck off for selling his firm’s letterhead to a company for use in compensation claims for £10 a letter where the claim was successful, along with improper transfers from client account.
SDT: No significant risk that groping ‘KKK’ solicitor will repeat conduct
There is no “significant risk” that a senior partner who did a Ku Klux Klan impersonation at his Black secretary and repeatedly groped her bottom will repeat his behaviour, the SDT has decided.
Firm fined £14,000 for conveyancing ID failures
An alternative business structure that failed to carry out sufficient identity checks on conveyancing transactions has been fined £14,000 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Solicitor ordered secretaries to retrospectively “witness” wills
The managing director of a law firm who ordered legal secretaries and a trainee solicitor to retrospectively “witness” wills which had already been signed by clients has been struck off.
BSB stats and Beckwith ruling put focus on misconduct outside practice
There has been a significant increase in the number of complaints about the conduct of barristers outside of practice, it has emerged, as the implications of the Beckwith ruling continue to reverberate.
Conveyancer’s shock at fraudster’s in-branch transfer from client account
A leading conveyancer has expressed his shock after a fraudster was able to transfer money from his firm’s client account at one of his bank’s branches, despite having put safeguards in place to prevent it.
Criminal solicitors billed med neg claimant £20k for “admin work”
Two criminal law solicitors who billed the victim of an attack by a psychiatric patient a total of £20,000 for what they described as “administrative services” have been fined by a tribunal.
Beckwith wins appeal – conduct was inappropriate but did not breach code
The High Court has overturned the decision that former Freshfields partner Ryan Beckwith breached the SRA code of conduct by having drunken sex with a junior lawyer at the firm.
Reality of law firms’ approach to AML not living up to their policies
There is a difference between many law firms’ anti-money laundering policies and procedures, and what actually happens in practice, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has found.
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.
