Compliance & Regulation
Poor conduct of consumer claims “will see more firms collapse”
At least 15 consumer claims law firms have gone bust in the last five years owing more than £400m and poor practices in the sector will likely lead to more, a leading insurer has predicted.
Solicitor breached undertaking and loaned client cash to correct it
A solicitor who paid away proceeds of a property sale in breach of an undertaking and then loaned the client the money to make up the shortfall, has been fined for misconduct.
Regulators failing to support good-quality immigration work
Poor-quality immigration legal aid work is having “devastating consequences” for clients and better support from the Solicitors Regulation Authority would help, a report has found.
OFSI: Lawyers’ sanctions failures mainly down to licence breaches
Most sanctions non-compliance by UK legal services providers is due to breaches of Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation licence conditions, it has revealed.
Chartered legal executives could get standalone litigation rights
CILEx Regulation has launched plans for chartered legal executives to obtain standalone rights to conduct litigation without having to seek rights of audience at the same time.
Assistant solicitor fined for costly undertaking failures
An assistant solicitor whose failure to comply with an undertaking in a property transaction cost his firm’s insurer £440,000 has been fined £5,500.
Ban for legal executive who fabricated admissions and pleadings
A chartered legal executive who fabricated court pleadings, expert reports and letters from third parties has been disqualified from working for solicitors’ firms.
SRA uses settlement agreements “to put pressure on solicitors”
Solicitors need to have confidence that they will be treated fairly by their regulator if they are to be encouraged to admit errors, a former partner suspended for misconduct has argued.
Top employment solicitor hits out at conduct of big City law firms
A leading employment lawyer has hit out at the conduct of some law firms when negotiating non-disclosure agreements for employers.
Barrister made nude modelling comments to trainee police officer
The barrister and amateur photographer suspended for two years for a conversation with a woman about nude modelling made the comments to a trainee police officer.
Blog
The real cure for inequality at law firms? Listening
How can men, as one male panellist put it, “get out of the way of people coming up through the ranks?”
Most of these conversations only happen after the men leave the room.
Andy Burnham and the Hillsborough Law: should solicitors be worried?
Now that Andy Burnham has become prime minister, the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, otherwise known as the Hillsborough Law, will receive a real boost of political capital.
Defending fair fees in the property profession
If the property industry is serious about moving towards 28-day exchanges, then it must confront not only the practical barriers, but the commercial behaviours too.
