Latest news
High Court criticises City firm for breaching judgment embargo
A well-known City law firm has been heavily criticised by the High Court for distributing a confidential embargoed draft judgment to journalists before it was handed down.
Jail for property solicitor who defrauded own firm of £160k
A long-serving property solicitor who defrauded a Hereford law firm out of £160,000 by diverting disbursement payments into her own bank account has been jailed for 30 months.
Family law market grows more strongly than expected
The family law market grew more strongly than expected last year, taking its total value to almost £2.2bn as firms look to offer more holistic services and embrace AI.
“Confidence in the future” – listed law firm pays special dividend
Keystone Law is to pay a special dividend to shareholders this year in light of “the strength of our balance sheet and our confidence in the future”.
Judge overturns suspension of barrister who lied to client about papers
It was “clearly inappropriate” for a Bar disciplinary tribunal to suspend a barrister who lied to a direct access client over papers that were accidentally destroyed by his chambers.
Suspension for solicitor “who would not allow firm to be regulated”
A law firm owner who failed to pay a wasted costs order as well as four fines imposed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority has been suspended for six months.
Number of personal injury claims falls to new low
The number of new motor injury claims in the first quarter of 2025 – and indeed the number of PI claims in total registered with the CRU – fell to an all-time low.
New powers for regulator to crack down on immigration advisers
There is “growing evidence” that unregulated immigration lawyers are abusing the system, the government has claimed in unveiling beefed-up powers for the Immigration Advice Authority.
SSB used “unethical tactics” to stop clients dropping cases
SSB Law has been accused of employing “unethical tactics” to retain clients who wanted to drop their cases and the Solicitors Regulation Authority condemned for its response.
SDT reprimands solicitor who failed to comply with LeO decision
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has reprimanded a solicitor who did not comply with a direction from the Legal Ombudsman – but said it should not have reached the tribunal.
Blog
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.
The SRA’s client money reforms: good intentions, questionable execution
On the face of it, the SRA’s plans to tighten protections around client money sounds sensible. The detail, as ever, tells a more complicated story.
Recruitment, retention and reward in the legal accounts world
Understanding the legal finance market is important – not just for those actively involved in it day-to-day but also for leaders within law firms.
