Latest news
Ambitious firm combining law and accounting nears national coverage with triple acquisition
Fast-growing HCB Solicitors and Chartered Accountants has announced the purchase of three more law firms this week as it closes in on its ambition to have national coverage. They take its national tally of offices to 26 and staff to around 350.
First4Lawyers moves beyond PI with consumer law offering
Leading marketing collective First4Lawyers – which has hitherto focused exclusively on personal injury and clinical negligence cases – has expanded into six other areas of consumer law in a major new push supported by more than 2,000 television advertisements a month.
1532 law keeps English barrister out of Scotland’s highest court
Scotland’s most senior judges have rejected a bid to allow an English barrister to appear before the country’s highest civil court for the first time in nearly 500 years. They said that the College of Justice Act 1532 remains good law.
Tax fraud barrister loses appeal against confiscation order
Michael Stannard, a former barrister convicted of cheating the public revenue of over £3m, has failed in his latest attempt to challenge a confiscation order made against him. The judge said she had “formed the clear impression” that he was “wholly unrepentant”.
The solicitor will see you now: British Medical Association sets up ABS for doctors
The British Medical Association (BMA) has launched a ground-breaking alternative business structure to service the legal needs of its 154,000 members, Legal Futures can reveal.
Law firms’ cyber security plans becoming number one issue for indemnity insurers
Cyber security is becoming a central issue for professional indemnity insurers, and firms will in future need to demonstrate what protections they have against cyber criminals before they are offered cover, a leading broker has predicted.
High Court halves solicitor’s “excessive and inappropriate” suspension
A decision by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) to suspend a solicitor for two years has been reduced to one by the High Court, which described the penalty as “clearly excessive and inappropriate”.
Immigration solicitor who left “trail of destruction” sentenced
A district judge has described how an immigration solicitor who continued to practice despite being suspended left behind her a “trail of destruction”.
NewLaw vendors receive final £5m pay-out for sale to Redde plc
The owners of NewLaw Solicitors have received an issue of shares worth £5.16m as final consideration for its acquisition by Redde plc. Law firm-owning Fairpoint Group and Slater & Gordon have also issued stock market announcments.
Number of QCs continues to fall
The number of QCs is continuing to fall, statistics from the Bar Standard Board have shown, dropping by more than 200 in four years. This contrasts with the steady rise in the total number of practicing barristers.
Blog
Awaab’s Law phase 2: New hazards council tenants can now claim for
The conversation on housing disrepair is moving beyond damp and mould alone. With the rollout of phase 2 of Awaab’s Law, the scope of issues covered is expanding significantly,
Beyond PCP: Can regulators and lawyers work better together next time?
Nearly a decade after the Financial Conduct Authority began investigating the car finance industry, the story of the PCP commission scandal is still unfinished.
Accountability has to live within governance, not with one person
The assumption has long been that a COLP or COFA is personally exposed to the consequences of anti-money laundering breaches.
