Latest news
Legal services “a national asset”, says government’s Industrial Strategy
The UK legal sector is “a national asset and an engine of economic growth”, the government declared yesterday as it unveiled its 10-year Industrial Strategy.
Mediation platform offers warring parties £25 chatbot service
A joint venture between a well-established UK mediation firm and a US-based online dispute resolution provider is offering individuals and SMEs a chatbot-based service for only £25 each.
Solicitor diverted client’s damages to company linked to his wife
A solicitor who diverted some of his client’s damages to a rehabilitation company connected to his wife – and created fake invoices that said it had treated the client – has been struck off.
Discrimination still prevalent in profession, say women lawyers
Most women in law (88%) believe sex discrimination is still prevalent in the profession, with 63% saying they had personally experienced it in the last five years.
“Whistleblowing” paralegal not unfairly dismissed by immigration firm
An employment tribunal has rejected claims from a paralegal that she was unfairly dismissed by her immigration firm for whistleblowing about client-care letters not being sent out.
‘Work hard, play hard’ solicitor suspended for groping colleagues
A male solicitor caught up in a ‘work hard, play hard’ culture at the London office of a US law firm has been suspended for a year for two instances of sexually touching female colleagues.
Law firm awarded £4.2m over PPI claims lost by JV partner
A law firm specialising in PPI claims has been awarded £4.2m in damages for thousands of cases that failed because of its joint venture partner.
Call for action to help small law firms adopt technology
Tech adoption by small law firms is being held back by cost, uncertainty and a reluctance to invest in systems that quickly become outdated or non-compliant, according to SRA research.
Law Society warns SRA to avoid “knee-jerk responses” on ethics
The Law Society has advised the Solicitors Regulation Authority against “knee-jerk responses” in attempting to tackle the issue of ethical standards in the profession.
Axiom Ince now set to cost solicitors £41m
The collapse of Axiom Ince is now set to cost the solicitors’ profession £41m in payouts from the SRA Compensation Fund, it has emerged.
Blog
The SRA and privileged material – this is not the end
All disclosure to the SRA must now exclude privileged material, which will not only hamper investigations but also cause additional work for firms providing disclosure.
Legal Ombudsman fee reforms risk widening the justice gap
Charging firms simply because a complaint moves through the process weakens the present connection between fees and fault. It could also encourage firms to settle for commercial reasons.
Why upfront information could transform home buying
The success of upfront property information will depend on more than simply making the information available.
Reports
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