Latest news
Solicitor who did not disclose “catastrophic” evidence struck off
A personal injury solicitor who withheld a piece of evidence he knew would be “catastrophic” to his client’s case has been struck off.
Margins rise at mid-sized firms as role of interest income lessens
Mid-sized law firms have improved their margins for the first time since 2021 while also reducing their exposure to client interest income, according to NatWest.
Law firm hits back after housing disrepair wasted costs order
A Liverpool law firm has hit back strongly after being criticised by a council which obtained a wasted costs order over its conduct of a housing disrepair claim.
“No incentive” for private equity investors to dilute firms’ ethics
There is no reason why a law firm backed by private equity would be “less professionally ethical” than one owned by its lawyer-partners, a regulatory specialist has argued.
PE-backed deal and reverse takeover lead latest M&A rush
The annual rush of M&A activity around the October insurance renewal season has included a private equity-backed deal and a firm buying another more than twice its size.
Allegation over solicitor’s role in will “should never have been made”
An allegation that an old woman who owned a farm in Devon signed codicils under the undue influence of a solicitor “should never have been made”, a High Court judge has said.
Strike-off for solicitor who misled client, court and law firm
A solicitor who misled her divorce client, the Family Court and the owner of her law firm – leading to the client being issued with a penal notice – has been struck off.
BSB goes ahead with new complaints rules for barristers
The Bar Standards Board has decided to go ahead with rule changes requiring barristers to tell it every year, via their chambers, about any complaints they receive.
Law firm targets London growth after taking private equity
A 25-partner law firm has become the first mid-market practice in London to take private equity investment, with plans to grow both organically and through acquisition.
Solicitors vote down Law Society bid to raise SGM threshold
The Law Society leadership yesterday lost the vote on its bid to increase the threshold for calling an SGM – and then immediately triggered a ballot of all members.
Blog
Change in regulator shouldn’t make AML less of a priority
While SRA fines for AML have been climbing, many in the profession aren’t confident they will get any relief from the FCA, a body used to dealing with a highly regulated industry.
There are 17 million wills waiting to be written
The main reason cited by people who do not have a will was a lack of awareness as to how to arrange one. As a professional community, we seem to be failing to get our message across.
The case for a single legal services regulator: why the current system is failing
From catastrophic firm collapses to endemic compliance failures, the evidence is mounting that the current multi-regulator model is fundamentally broken.
