Employment
Law firms need to act over new duty to prevent sexual harassment
Law firms will need to rethink their approach to alcohol at events as part of preparing for the new positive legal duty on employers to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.
Trainee “bullied and unsupervised” in doing work of qualified lawyers
A trainee solicitor fired for raising concerns about her lack of supervision and the poor service clients were receiving from her firm has been awarded damages of £36,000.
Tribunal makes protective awards in favour of SSB staff
An employment tribunal has made protective awards in favour of former staff of SSB Group, after they were made redundant without consultation.
“Not just banter” – secretary wins sexual harassment claim against law firm
A legal secretary has won her claim of sexual harassment against a law firm whose owner was jokingly described by a colleague as a “sexual predator”.
Fee-earner found in contempt over documents taken from law firm
A fee-earner who has not complied with a court order to return documents taken from his former law firm has been handed a four-month suspended jail sentence for contempt.
Solicitor fired after announcing pregnancy awarded £26k damages
A solicitor has been awarded damages of £26,475 after her law firm withdrew an offer of promotion and four weeks later summarily dismissed her because she was pregnant
Employment lawyer to pay costs after claiming against wrong firm
An employment solicitor who failed to correctly name his law firm when bringing a claim against it for unfair dismissal has been ordered to pay £3,000 in costs.
ASA upbraids unregulated employment firm over marketing
The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld a complaint about marketing material sent by an employment law business that looked like it was from a public body.
Law firm entitled to withdraw job offer made to “rude” worker
A law firm was entitled to withdraw a job offer from a man who was “rude and difficult” during an online onboarding meeting, an employment tribunal has ruled.
Law firm signed probation review for solicitor without consent
A law firm that electronically signed an inaccurate probation review document on behalf of a recently qualified solicitor without her approval wrongfully dismissed her.
Blog
Strong AML controls are meaningless with incomplete data
One expectation as the FCA takes control of anti-money laundering oversight is a move towards more supervision rather than simply writing new rules.
Navigating the legal AI productivity-profitability paradox
Firms are achieving efficiencies through AI, especially in the practice of law. Yet many are struggling to see that reflected in their financial outcomes
Regulation, growth and access to justice: why legal services need a reset
Well-intentioned consumer protections embedded in the regulation of legal services increasingly act as barriers to innovation, competition and access to justice.
