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SRA issues hefty fine for solicitor who ignored conflict between clients
A solicitor who acted for both sides in the transfer of five properties for nil value has been hit with a £12,000 fine by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Only one of 1,200 global legaltech patent applications filed in UK
Nearly 1,200 legaltech patent applications were filed around the world last year but only one by a company based in the UK, researchers have found.
Solicitor to face tribunal over “threatening” Covid letters to GPs
A solicitor is set to face a disciplinary tribunal for aggressively threatening GPs with legal action if the doctor did not provide a Covid vaccination exemption for their client.
Law Commission drops plan to ban discrimination in appointing arbitrators
The Law Commission has “reluctantly concluded” that banning discrimination in the appointment of arbitrators “could cause more problems than it solves”.
Law firm culture key to ethical practice, says Law Society president
Law firm cultures where solicitors are able to admit and learn from mistakes are central to ensuring adherence to professional ethics, the president of the Law Society said yesterday.
Justice secretary must “get to grips” with escalating civil court delays
Justice secretary Alex Chalk must urgently “get to grips” with increasing civil court delays to help thousands of consumers trapped in “legal limbo”, ACSO has argued.
Law firm fined for dealing with CMC and not its clients
A personal injury firm which did not deal directly with clients referred by a claims management company over six years has been fined by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Law firm’s PII covers claim to return £7.5m fee, Court of Appeal rules
A claim seeking the return of a £7.5m success fee earned by a law firm for its role in a giant transaction is covered by its professional indemnity insurance, the Court of Appeal has ruled.
Bar Council to meet Can’t Buy My Silence over NDAs
The Bar Council is to meet non-disclosure agreement pressure group Can’t Buy My Silence in the wake of its criticism of the barrister body’s stance.
Four in ten crime solicitor-advocates “lack proper learning plans”
Nearly half of criminal law solicitors-advocates lack proper learning and development plans, research by the Solicitors Regulation Authority has indicated.
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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