Compliance & Regulation
Immigration firm “advised beyond its competence”
A tribunal has rejected an appeal from an immigration adviser and firm whose registration was cancelled for breaches of the OISC code that were “as extensive as they were serious”.
Solicitor left abandoned law firm in “chaotic state”
A solicitor who “abandoned” his law firm, leaving his office “in a chaotic state” with piles of letters thrown away as a fire hazard by neighbouring tenant, has been struck off.
Law firms tell SRA: we want to keep client account
A poll of law firms has found almost complete opposition to the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s idea of preventing them from holding client money.
Fine for conveyancer who acted for lenders and himself
A solicitor who acted for lenders in conveyancing transactions without telling them he was also acting for himself and family members has been fined £12,500.
Tribunal fines law firm for persistent transparency rule breaches
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has fined a law firm over £20,000 for failing to comply with the SRA’s transparency rules and requirements to have a COLP and COFA.
Law firm launches consultancy to help investors enter legal market
City law firm Kingsley Napley has launched a strategic regulatory advice service for private equity firms and other investors eyeing up the UK and international legal market.
SRA worried about firms over-reliant on client account interest
The SRA will ask next week whether it is ever right for solicitors to retain interest received on client account money, saying it is worried that some firms rely on it to stay solvent.
Unapologetic SRA dismisses Axiom Ince report as “opinion”
The leaders of the SRA yesterday refused to apologise to the profession about the Axiom Ince collapse as they dismissed the report criticising its actions as just opinion.
Axiom Ince failures are “history for us”, says SRA chair
What went wrong with the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s supervision of Axiom Ince is “in many respects… history for us”, the regulator’s chair told the profession today.
SRA imposes “interim” conditions on work of SSB Group chief
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has imposed conditions on the practice of SSB Group co-founder Jeremy Brooke while it continues its probe into what went wrong.
Blog
The formula for finance-enabled business development
Client concentration or over-dependence now counts as a top strategic risk for 26% of firms. Cross-selling is an antidote – a way to bolster revenue resilience without relying on client acquisition.
Whistleblowing guidance for in-house lawyers – a call to arms
In-house lawyers are in a unique position to spot wrongdoing. But reporting it is not just potentially dangerous from a personal point of view.
The importance of benchmarking reports – and lessons on profitability
Regional firms reported the largest revenue growth this year (12%), outpacing their City counterparts. Yet many are not converting that growth into profitability.
