Latest news
Law firm fails in summary judgment bid over negligence claim
A law firm being sued for more than £2m over a failure to advise properly has failed in its bid for summary judgment over several of the allegations made against it.
Axiom Law enters regulation for first time with US ABS
Leading alternative legal services provider Axiom Law has moved into regulated services for the first time after being granted an ABS licence in the US state of Arizona.
Initiative extends pro bono opportunities to firms’ business services staff
A new initiative extending pro bono opportunities to business operations professionals at large law firms has gone live, linking them with third sector organisations needing volunteers.
Judge calls for guidance on rights of unqualified agency advocates
County court judges would benefit from “more authoritative guidance” from the higher courts on whether unqualified solicitor’s agents have rights of audience, a circuit judge has said.
Partner fined after charitable trusts used client account as bank
A charity law specialist who allowed two charitable trusts to use his firm’s client account as a banking facility has been fined £2,000 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Regulators must tackle “out-of-date” lawyers, LSB says
Regulators must take action to ensure that lawyers are not operating with “out-of-date” skills or knowledge, the Legal Services Board has said.
FCA toughens up new claims management company ‘phoenixing’ ban
The Financial Conduct Authority is going ahead with a tougher version of a ban on ‘phoenixing’ by financial services claims management companies, which will come into force next month.
Entrepreneurs group takes minority stake in boutique law firm
A tech entrepreneurs’ forum set up by the co-founder of lastminute.com has taken a significant minority stake in a law firm that specialises in acting for fintech clients.
Mishcon puts float on ice as staff at listed firms enjoy share rewards
London law firm Mishcon de Reya has put its plans to float on the stock market on hold for the “foreseeable future”, it announced yesterday.
Online rule committee will be catalyst for digital justice, says Birss
The work of the new Online Procedure Rules Committee will help connect the whiplash portal and other pre-action regimes to the court system electronically, the deputy head of civil justice has said.
Blog
The SRA needs to admit it got it wrong about SLAPPs
The High Court judgment in Ashley Hurst v SRA in January raises serious questions about the regulator’s approach to allegations of SLAPP-like behaviour.
Why menopause support belongs on every law firm’s agenda
Progression in the law slows significantly as women approach senior leadership. Most will be at the height of their careers around the average age menopause symptoms begin.
Law firms need to go beyond document checks
At the root of every failed compliance review is a familiar phrase: a calm assertion of “but we did a document check”.
