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Investigation raises doubts about rigour of Law Society’s CQS
Seven in 10 law firms fined for anti-money laundering breaches in recent months have Conveyancing Quality Scheme accreditation, raising serious questions about how it is checked and enforced.
Court protects solicitor deputies asked to pay off drug debt
The High Court has ordered two solicitors acting as deputies for a man in his 20s not to pay off a £17,000 debt he owes drug dealers.
APIL urges regulators to act over “scattergun” dishonesty claims
Abuse of the fundamental dishonesty rules by some defendants in personal injury cases is likely to escalate if regulators do not address the issue, according to APIL.
Post Office KC stresses advocacy role for juniors in inquiries
Being on the barrister team for public inquiries can “stifle career development” despite the prestige if there is little actual advocacy involved, according to the head of the Post Office inquiry team.
Law firm slapped with £80,000 fine for AML breaches
A London law firm has been fined nearly £80,000 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority for failures to comply with the anti-money laundering rules, one of the largest to date.
Still no timeline for ABSs in Scotland despite new law
The Law Society of Scotland has declined to confirm when it will introduce alternative business structures now that all ownership restrictions on them have been removed.
Ex-managing partner fails in appeal against £210k costs award
A former managing partner has failed in his appeal against a £210,000 costs order after trying to mislead an employment tribunal in a claim against his firm.
No “generalised” ethical failure among solicitors, insists Law Society
High-profile scandals like the Post Office are “not indicative of a generalised failure of ethical standards within the profession”, the Law Society has insisted.
CJC calls for “urgent” government review of SSB-style funding
The government needs to urgently investigate the type of litigation funding used by collapsed law firms like SSB Law and Pure Legal, the Civil Justice Council said yesterday.
City partner “erroneously” paid out £2.2m to developer client
A partner at DWF has been fined £14,000 for wrongly approving £2.2m in payments to a developer which later went bust, leaving the firm to recompense out-of-pocket buyers.
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.
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