Latest news
LeO seeks £1.2m budget increase as complaints numbers rise
The Legal Ombudsman has proposed a 7% increase, or £1.2m, in its budget to nearly £18m next year, with delays at the complaints-handling body set to continue for longer than anticipated.
Sex offender given access to child’s data by law firm found in contempt
A convicted sex offender accidentally given access by a leading law firm to a vulnerable child’s confidential information has been found guilty of contempt for not complying with court orders to delete it.
Fixed costs rules not as simple as we wanted, Birss admits
The deputy head of civil justice has issued a robust defence of the new regime of fixed recoverable costs – while acknowledging it is not as simple as he would like.
Listed firm reaches £500k settlement with fired chief executive
Listed legal business RBG Holdings has reached a £500,000 settlement with its former chief executive, who it fired in January after losing confidence in her.
Beringer: Firms must be publicly accountable for new client decisions
Commercial law firms must be prepared to publicly justify acting for controversial clients and not hide behind professional arguments like access to justice, ex-Allen & Overy senior partner Guy Beringer has said.
MPs launch probe into growing delays in county court
The House of Commons’ justice select committee is to probe the capacity and resources of the county court amid ever-growing delays in how long cases are taking.
Solicitor’s complaint over unfair work allocation “faces problems”
A solicitor who says he made a protected disclosure about the unfair allocation of work at his former firm has been told he will struggle to prove his unfair dismissal claim.
CAT consolidates collective actions in opt-out “milestone”
The Competition Appeal Tribunal has for the first time consolidated two opt-out collective claims in what has been described as a “milestone” for the sector.
Solicitors “have more positive view of their services” than consumers do
There are “several discrepancies” between the quality of the service solicitors believe they are providing and what consumers perceive, research for the SRA has found.
Law firms each fined £12,000 for AML failures
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has fined two law firms over £12,000 each for anti-money laundering failures, one having accepted source of funds confirmation from a Ukrainian law firm.
Blog
Amplifying reach through employee-driven thought leadership
Nine in 10 executives believe thought leadership is critical to building authority, yet only a quarter feel they have implemented a robust strategy.
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.
