Compliance & Regulation
Bar tribunal hands ‘opera assault’ lawyer harsher sanction than SRA
A dual-qualified lawyer convicted of beating a man in a confrontation at the Royal Opera House has been handed a harsher sanction by a Bar disciplinary tribunal than the SRA.
Barrister convicted of harassing ex-partner suspended from practice
A barrister convicted of harassing his former partner with a barrage of “very abusive, insulting and irrational” emails has been suspended for nine months by a disciplinary tribunal.
Solicitors sanctioned for inadequate advice over care home rooms
A solicitor who failed to advise clients adequately over the high risks of buying and subletting rooms in care homes has been fined, with the newly qualified who worked with him rebuked.
IT worker banned for stealing laptops from major City law firm
A member of IT staff at City giant Ashurst who stole two laptops from the firm and sold them on has been banned from working in the profession.
BSB rules loom large in row over Israel arrest warrants
UK Lawyers for Israel has confirmed it is to complain to the Bar Standards Board about the conduct of International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan KC.
Gender-critical barristers’ alarm at BSB equality rule reform
Two barristers with high-profile gender-critical views have expressed alarm at the Bar Standards Board’s proposed rewrite of its equality rules.
Barristers set for positive duty to advance equality and diversity
Barristers will have a positive duty to act “in a way that advances equality, diversity and inclusion” under a shake-up of the equality rules launched by the Bar Standards Board.
CILEx Regulation pushes ahead with transparency for all legal services
Rule changes which would mean that law firms regulated by CILEx Regulation would be the first required to publish price and service information for all services have been put to the LSB.
Law firm owner rebuked for practising without insurance
A solicitor who did not shut down his law firm properly, continuing to deal with client matters even though he was not insured, has been rebuked.
Legal Omubdsman restarts work on publishing decisions
The Legal Ombudsman is set to restart work towards publishing the decisions it makes in full, now that operational performance is improving, Legal Futures can reveal.
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.
