Latest news
Motor claims fall to new low as self-representation creeps up
The number of motor injury claims reported to the Compensation Recovery Unit fell to their lowest first-quarter level ever this year, new figures have shown.
Drug dealer not “pressurised to plead guilty” by lawyers
The Court of Appeal has rejected a claim from a convicted drug dealer that he was “pressurised” to plead guilty by “negligent advice” from his lawyers.
SRA bans Court of Protection fee-earner and rebukes her supervisor
A fee-earner who failed to manage a vulnerable client’s affairs properly – using her own money to cover her errors – and the partner who supervised her have both been sanctioned.
Axiom founder loses appeal over 14-year fraud sentence
Timothy Schools, the struck-off solicitor jailed for 14 years last summer for pocketing at least £20m from the Axiom Legal Financing Fund, has failed in a bid to reduce his sentence.
Managers need to challenge bad office behaviour “immediately”
Law firm managers who witness unfair treatment should intervene immediately to stop it if possible, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has said.
Barristers facing “unrealistic” expectations in private family law
Barristers working on private family law cases are facing “unrealistic” expectations to broker agreements between warring parents, two lawyer academics have argued.
Solicitor fined over conflict of interest in SDLT avoidance schemes
A partner who acted for property purchasers and lenders and failed to tell the latter that the former were using stamp duty land tax avoidance schemes has been fined.
Ex-Hogan Lovells staffer to pay costs for attacks on firm’s integrity
A former employee of Hogan Lovells whose unfair dismissal claim was thrown out has been ordered to pay costs because of attacks he made on the City firm’s integrity.
Knights bolsters North of England presence with two acquisitions
Listed law firm Knights is adding Newcastle, Carlisle and Lancaster to its 23-strong national network of offices with two more acquisitions, it announced today.
LSB looks to beef up regulatory response to misuse of NDAs
The need for a “strengthened and harmonised regulatory approach” to tackle the misuse of non-disclosure agreements is being probed by the Legal Services Board.
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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