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Firms could be forced to point consumers to LeO complaints records
Law firms may be compelled to point potential clients to Legal Ombudsman decisions about them to help make it easier for consumers to choose a lawyer.
Parties to pay indemnity costs after reneging on mediated settlement
Defendants that reneged on a settlement agreement reached after mediation have been ordered to pay indemnity costs for the subsequent period, including the trial they lost.
Law firm wrongfully dismissed solicitor after two weeks
A solicitor who was fired two weeks into a six-month contract was wrongly dismissed and entitled to be paid for the full six months, an employment tribunal has ruled.
Council apologises for press release breaching judgment embargo
A local authority that sent out an embargoed press release about a High Court ruling that had not yet been handed down has apologised to the judge.
Hiring star lawyers “can lower quality of service”
Hiring ‘star’ or elite commercial lawyers often reduces the quality of the teams they join, a study has found, with some large law firms panicking about losing big clients unless they had “big names”.
MR: Regulators and courts need to control use of ChatGPT in litigation
Legal regulators and the courts may need to control whether and how lawyers can use AI systems like ChatGPT in litigation, the Master of the Rolls has said.
Ex-judges “need guidance or regulation” on post-retirement work
The Post Office’s use of two former senior judges in its defence of the sub-postmaster prosecutions indicates the need for guidance or regulation on what judges do in retirement.
SRA rebukes lawyers for bankruptcy and costs misconduct
A solicitor who continued to practise after being made bankrupt and a fee-earner who failed to return disallowed costs to Court of Protection clients have been rebuked.
SRA looks to “harness the potential of unbundling”
The Solicitors Regulation Authority wants to “harness the potential of unbundling to broaden access to legal services and increase consumer choice”, it said yesterday.
High Court: Letter asserting solicitor’s lien was not defamatory
The High Court has thrown out a defamation claim over a letter sent by one law firm to another asserting a solicitor’s lien over £100,000 of any damages awarded to its former clients.
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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