Latest news
Solicitor fined £305,000 by SDT was motivated by “desire to help”
Nigel Harvie, the solicitor fined a record £305,000 by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) last month, argued that he was motivated by a “desire to help”, it has emerged.
SME-focused comparison site plots “aggressive” expansion after funding boost
A lawyer comparison website aimed at SMEs is poised to begin an “aggressive growth” campaign to win market share, after securing substantial investment 18 months after it launched.
Battle for crime contracts in full swing as leading firms unveil consortium
The battle for criminal legal aid contracts is underway, with Duncan Lewis – which describes itself as the country’s largest legal aid provider – unveiling a consortium that will bid for duty provider contracts nationwide.
ICAEW licenses 48 ABSs in first six months as probate regulator
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) has licensed 48 alternative business structures to carry out probate work in its first six months as regulator, it has emerged.
First Polish-owned, Polish-speaking ABS targets East European clients
The first Polish-owned, Polish-speaking alternative business structure opened for business at the start of this month – with the help of a British solicitor. Optimal Solicitors started life as a claims management company before converting.
Paraskeva returns to the law as CLC chair
Former Law Society chief executive Dame Janet Paraskeva has been named as the new chair of the Council for Licensed Conveyancers. Dame Janet, a non-lawyer, has been appointed for an initial four-year term.
‘We’ve done our homework on Quindell,’ Slater & Gordon insists
Slater & Gordon has moved to dispel any doubts about the wisdom of its acquisition of Quindell’s professional services division (PSD), emphasising the work it put into going over the books. It also revealed that the PSD will operate as a standalone division.
Not so clever: 80% of lawyers rate themselves as ‘above average’ but only 40% of clients see it that way
Although 80% of lawyers at small firms rate their services as ‘above average’ only 40% of clients rate them that way, a major study has found. The survey found that lawyers misunderstood clients’ priorities.
Now barrister ‘named and shamed’ by LeO is suspended for not paying other barristers
Tariq Rehman, the first lawyer to be ‘named and shamed’ by the Legal Ombudsman for a series of complaints, has been suspended by a Bar disciplinary tribunal. The tribunal suspended him for failing to pay three other barristers for work they had carried out.
Quindell sale moves closer after shareholders approve deal
The sale of Quindell’s professional services division moved a major step closed today after the company’s shareholders approved the disposal to Slater & Gordon.
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.
