Latest news
Barrister “recklessly misled” BSB in applying for practising certificate
A barrister who “recklessly misled” the Bar Standards Board into giving him a practising certificate by falsely stating that he was a door tenant at a set of chambers has been disbarred.
City giant uses generative AI to develop lease reporting tool
City law firm BCLP has used generative artificial intelligence to develop a lease reporting tool which is being rolled out to UK clients this month.
Berkshire firm hit with £16k fine for AML compliance failures
A law firm that did not have sufficient anti-money laundering controls in place for nearly six years has been fined £16,000 for its failures.
SDT rules that solicitor posted antisemitic tweets
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal yesterday upheld allegations that a solicitor published antisemitic and offensive posts on social media and also abused SRA staff.
Solicitor criticised as tribunal rejects discrimination claim against JAC
An employment tribunal has criticised the conduct of a solicitor in bringing a race discrimination claim after not making it through the sift stage for a judicial appointment.
Value of legal services market “to hit £50bn” this year
The legal services market will continue to grow in 2024, hitting a turnover of £50bn with a “resilient” corporate law sector boosted by “stronger economic conditions” later in the year.
Bott & Co teams up with CMC to boost car finance mis-selling practice
Leading consumer law firm Bott & Co has become the latest to step up its focus on car finance mis-selling cases, unveiling a “strategic collaboration” with a CMC.
Biggest and smallest regulators top LSB performance assessment
Only the biggest and smallest legal regulators – the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Costs Lawyer Standards Board – have ‘passed’ their annual performance assessments by the Legal Services Board.
Number of cyber breaches at law firms up by 36% in a year
The number of reported cyber breaches at UK law firms jumped by 36% in 2022/23 as hackers increasingly target the profession, new figures show.
Government rejects major changes to SARs regime
The Home Office has rejected changes proposed by the Law Commission almost five years ago, which would have introduced statutory guidance on the suspicious activity reports.
Blog
Regulate sole practices on evidence, not turnover
For a sole practice, the SRA’s plan that I cannot hold a compliance role if my firm has more than £600,000 of turnover is not a measure of risk. It is a ceiling on growth.
Is Google becoming pay-to-play for law firms?
For years, law firms have been told that SEO is the long-term alternative to paying for every click. That principle hasn’t disappeared but search results have changed significantly.
Material information and the case for intelligent client onboarding
Upfront information means work traditionally undertaken after an offer is accepted will need to happen earlier. And that fundamentally changes the role of client onboarding.
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