Latest news
Bar chief suspended for train chat that breached court order
The former head of the Scottish Bar has been suspended after being filmed on a train naming women who had accused ex-SNP leader Alex Salmond of sexual assault, in breach of a court order.
PII renewal heralds annual M&A rush among law firms
The 1 October indemnity insurance deadline many law firms still adhere to has been marked by the usual rush of merger activity up and down the country, from Leeds to Nottingham to Devon and beyond.
Law firm fined after building up £105k in residual client balances
A North London law firm that allowed £105,000 of residual client balances to build up over 13 years has been fined £14,000 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Law firm consultant was worker, not employee, tribunal rules
A solicitor who worked as a consultant for a South London law firm was not an employee and so could not sue for unfair dismissal and breach of contract, an employment tribunal has ruled.
Law firm loses out on $3m after CA rejects bid to sever part of CFA
A law firm which charged its client nearly $3m under an unenforceable conditional fee agreement has to repay the money after failing to sever the offending clause, the Court of Appeal has ruled.
SDT clears City lawyer in Zoom “espionage” case
A senior City lawyer accused of misconduct which the public would view as “perhaps even tantamount to espionage” has been cleared by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
PEXA agrees £31m Smoove deal in bid to grow conveyancing presence
PEXA, the Australian conveyancing technology giant that last year bought a UK law firm, is set to expand significantly after agreeing a £31m deal by buy listed company Smoove.
New legislation could introduce electronic wills “immediately”
A new Wills Act could permit electronic wills to be introduced “immediately”, rather than enabling the Lord Chancellor to introduce them in the future, the Law Commission says today.
LSB has “no role” in promoting use of technology
The Legal Services Board has “no role” in promoting the use of technology and there are “dangers in using regulatory levers to attempt to do so”, the Bar Council has warned.
New shelf facility for law firms “will speed up consolidation”
The pace of consolidation in the legal market could increase after the funder that owns Simpson Millar launched a facility for law firms that want to grow through acquisition.
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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