Latest news
Law firm wins VAT battle with HMRC over office leases
A law firm LLP that used a shell company to enter into leases for its offices has won an appeal against an HM Revenue & Customs decision that it could not recover the VAT incurred.
Courts returning “large number” of claims forms for ex-OIC cases
A large number of claim forms prepared by personal injury solicitors in claims exiting the Official Injury Claim portal are being returned because of errors, it has emerged.
Female GCs “more likely to coach and mentor” than men
Female general counsel are more likely to coach, mentor and develop their direct reports than male GCs, new research has found. Men placed a higher focus on collaborative working than women.
PI firm fails to exclude defendant solicitors’ data on its claims record
The High Court has rejected a claimant personal injury firm’s objection to witness statements from the opposing solicitors that suggest it may be engaging in fraud.
Solicitors facing ethical disclosure decisions “need more SRA help”
The SRA’s guidance on disclosing confidential information “inappropriately discourages” lawyers from reporting serious misconduct and risks of harm, it has been claimed.
Estate agents boss tells conveyancers to charge more
Conveyancers should charge more – or not pay referral fees – so they can reduce their workload and improve transaction times, the head of an estate agents body has argued.
Solicitor struck off after tribunal refuses to go behind US plea deal
A solicitor convicted in the US of conspiracy to commit securities fraud has been struck off after a tribunal refused his attempt to explain why he signed a plea deal.
Law firms looking to be bought “do not have the value they think”
Many law firms looking to be bought do not have the value they like to think they have, while multiples used to set the price are beginning to fall, leading advisers have warned.
Solicitor struck off for misusing client money and unauthorised practice
A veteran solicitor who used client money to alleviate his firm’s financial problems and also misled his insurer that he was authorised to practise when he no longer was, has been struck off.
Barrister who misused gift aid overpayment from charity disbarred
A barrister convicted of dishonestly retaining a mistaken £240,000 overpayment of gift aid to his charity has now been disbarred as well.
Blog
The growing importance of higher limits in personal ATE
While the personal litigation market is undergoing a period of significant change as claims become more complex, much of the ATE insurance market has remained relatively static.
The profession can play a greater role in improving access to justice
In this, the third blog of my series, I focus on what lawyers in the UK can do to improve access to justice through greater professional stewardship.
Does AI work for conveyancers? We asked those on the front line
What is the view on AI from conveyancers themselves? Based on a Dye & Durham’s roundtable discussion on AI, the answer is: it depends.
Reports
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