Compliance & Regulation
Court to consider legality of refusing to act for non-sanctioned Russian
A judge is to consider whether a firm of accountants discriminated against a company owned by a non-sanctioned Russian by refusing to take it on as a client.
Law Society would support Legal Ombudsman outsourcing
The Law Society has said it would be “inclined to support” any bid by the Legal Ombudsman to secure legislation which would allow it to outsource complaints handling.
Solicitor fined after acting for friends and family without insurance
A solicitor who was unaware that the rules had changed so that she could not handle friends and family’s conveyancing for free without insurance has been fined.
High Court rejects barrister’s bid for Lib Dems disclosure order
The High Court has rejected a barrister’s bid for an order requiring the Liberal Democrats to disclose the identities of people who made anonymous complaints about her.
SRA issues first fixed penalty fine for diversity data failure
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has handed out the first fixed penalty fine for a law firm’s failure to submit its workforce diversity data within the deadline.
Solicitor jailed for false accounting fails to overturn conviction
The Court of Appeal has rejected an appeal by a former solicitor jailed more than four years ago for false accounting at his law firm.
Judge refuses to intervene over barrister who swapped sides
The High Court has refused to intervene in a dispute over the counsel for a claimant having previously been on the record for the defendants.
High Court upholds SDT decision to clear former Law Society president
The High Court has dismissed an appeal against a decision of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal to clear former Law Society president David Greene of lying to the county court.
Partner agrees to leave profession for “recklessly” misleading firm
A former equity partner at Thompsons has agreed to remove himself from the roll after admitting he “recklessly” misled it about the intimate nature of his relationship with a colleague.
Tribunal ends solicitor’s indefinite suspension after 15 years
The SDT has permitted a solicitor it indefinitely suspended 15 years ago to return to practise after he provided “full and comprehensive evidence of training in property law”.
Blog
Divorce escrow: asset sales before final settlement
When significant matrimonial assets are sold before a final financial order is agreed, holding the proceeds safely and neutrally can present real practical challenges.
AML lacks clarity – and standards are suffering
If firms are buckling under the pressure of AML regulations, subject to ever-increasing fines, then something is clearly not working as it should be.
The power of participation for trainees and apprentices
It’s important as a trainee or an apprentice to get involved in the life of your firm – even under the pressure of discovering how to navigate professional life and now the demands of the SQE.
