Latest news
High Court upholds wasted costs order against law firm
A circuit judge was entitled to make a wasted costs order against a firm of solicitors that failed to translate their client’s statement and pleadings for use at trial, the High Court has ruled.
Money laundering solicitor finally pays off confiscation order
A struck-off solicitor and money launderer has finally satisfied the £716,719 confiscation order made against him in 2017, after facing a return to jail.
Lawyers can recover costs of attending rehab meetings “in principle”
The Court of Appeal has overturned a significant ruling last year that the costs of a fee-earner’s attendance at rehabilitation case management meetings are irrecoverable.
Don’t put up a barrier with your business, in-house lawyers told
In-house lawyers should not think they are special because of their wider duties to the court as this risks alienating them from their business colleagues, it was claimed yesterday.
Probate delays putting law firms in clients’ firing line
Law firms are suffering a backlash from clients, and increasing unbillable time, as a result of the continuing delays at the Probate Service, the Law Society has said.
Former Lord Chief cautions against regulation of litigation funding
Regulation may not be answer for the future of the third-party litigation funding market, a former Lord Chief Justice has cautioned ahead of the Civil Justice Council review of the sector.
Community order for disbarred barrister over antisemitic blog posts
A former barrister who was disbarred for antisemitic and racist tweets has now been handed a nine-month community order for grossly offensive antisemitic material posted on his blog.
Restraint order for academic who sued chambers over website reference
The High Court has imposed a three-year extended civil restraint order on a former academic who has been pursuing Cloisters Chambers over a reference to him on its website.
Simpson Millar buys personal injury practice out of administration
National firm Simpson Millar has rescued personal injury firm Novum Law out of administration, with the funder that owns the former also a creditor of the latter.
Hefty AML fine for firm that facilitated vendor fraud
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has handed out three more hefty fines for anti-money laundering failures, one for a firm that facilitated a vendor fraud as a result.
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.
