Latest news
From regulation to SSB Law – CJC publishes litigation funding report
The Civil Justice Council’s litigation funding working group published its interim report yesterday, taking on issues ranging from regulation of third-party funders to the collapse of SSB Law.
Most law firms and in-house teams struggling to recruit
Three-quarters of law firms and in-house legal departments have found it difficult to hire staff in the last 12 months, new research has found.
Top law firms embrace branding with “emotional buy-in”
There is “an emerging class” of law firms among the top 100 which have adopted brands “evoking emotional buy-in and defining themselves as social and client champions”.
Legal Ombudsman seeks 10% budget hike as delays persist
The Legal Ombudsman has proposed a 10.2% increase in its budget, or £1.8m, as it struggles to bring down the longstanding backlog of complaints.
Costs penalty for City firm over approach to “forged” report
Leading City litigation firm Quinn Emanuel has been penalised in costs for not engaging with allegations that a key document it had produced for a case was a forgery.
Law firm uses trainees to find problems and solve them with AI
A law firm is using teams of trainee solicitors to find problems that can be solved by artificial intelligence, develop solutions and present them to managers.
Court of Appeal ruling sparks panic over motor finance claim deluge
The motor finance market has reacted with alarm to last week’s Court of Appeal ruling that lenders failed to clearly disclose commissions paid to car dealers.
Axiom Ince report: The full story of what went wrong at the SRA
The review of the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s handling of Axiom Ince shows it missed an opportunity to uncover the fraud a year before it eventually shut the firm down.
Axiom Ince report: No law firm should go years without an SRA visit
Law firms should not go “many years” without receiving a visit from the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Carson McDowell report for the Legal Services Board has recommended.
Criticism rains down on SRA but M&A controls spark worry too
Criticism of the Solicitors Regulation Authority poured in yesterday in the wake of the report into how it dealt with Axiom Ince, although the notion of more controls on M&A sparked concern.
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.
