Latest news
FCA to have extensive powers over lawyers in AML role
Deeper checks of law firm owners and the ability to bring criminal prosecutions are among the powers proposed for the FCA once it takes over supervising lawyers’ AML activities.
Court to rule on SRA’s powers to see privileged material
The High Court is set to decide on whether the Solicitors Regulation Authority has the power it claims to examine legally privileged material as part of investigations.
SDT clears solicitor of dishonesty over costs claim
A solicitor accused of dishonestly seeking more costs than his client was entitled to claim has been cleared by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
Survey: Profits up in the City, down in the regions
City law firms are outperforming their regional counterparts, with partner profit pools rising by 12% in London but falling by 11% outside of it, according to new research.
PE-backed serious injury firm makes big move into family law
Private equity-backed Fletchers Group has moved outside of injury work for the first time by buying leading family law firm Rayden Solicitors.
Law Society ballot chaos after council withdraws support for motion
The Law Society is to go ahead with a ballot of the membership on increasing the threshold for calling an SGM – even though its council has withdrawn support for the idea.
SRA belatedly publishes restrictions placed on Mazur lawyer
The fee-earner at the heart of the Mazur ruling is a ‘senior litigation executive’ who was suspended indefinitely as a solicitor 17 years ago, the SRA has revealed.
Land Registry “will automate all simple requests” by 2035
HM Land Registry will have “automated almost all simple requests to change the register” by 2035, offering “a near-instant service” for home buying and selling.
Awaab’s Law pushes housing law firms to up marketing spend
The cost of Google adverts for ‘mould claim’ searches continued to surge in the run-up to Awaab’s Law coming into force last week as law firms looked for work.
Employee ownership “a way of saying we are not for sale”
The managing director of a Kent law firm which has turned down multipe private equity advances has described its move to employee ownership as “a way of saying we are not for sale”.
Blog
SRA supervision and AI: what firms will be asked to prove
AI intensifies scrutiny of whether firms can demonstrate that they were in control of the systems through which legal services were delivered.
How ELD NextGen will improve employers’ liability tracing
The Employers’ Liability Tracing Office is continuing work towards the launch of ELD NextGen, the next generation of the employers’ liability database, in early 2027.
Fifteen years on: Lessons from ABS reform
Fifteen years ago this month saw the very first alternative business structure. At the time, the prospect of non-lawyers owning law firms was dubbed ‘Tesco Law’.
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