Latest news
LeO boss: Efforts to close complaints more quickly starting to work
Efforts to close cases more quickly are having a positive impact on the performance of the Legal Ombudsman, with an influx of new recruits set to speed up progress.
Solicitor struck off for lying to avoid paying legal aid debt
A solicitor who lied about not having a bank account or any income other than benefits to avoid having to repay a debt to the Legal Aid Agency (Lhas been struck off.
Ex-Mishcon partner accepts £17,500 fine for AML failures
The partner whose conduct contributed to the record £232,000 fine handed out to Mishcon de Reya has been fined £17,500 himself.
Firm fired Jewish employee after taking time off for religious holiday
A law firm has been ordered to pay a former Jewish employee £26,500 in damages after it fired him for not attending work when instructed, even though it was a religious holiday he had booked off.
Scottish law firm can be sued for negligence in England
A Scottish law firm, which has no offices south of the border, has failed in a jurisdiction challenge to halt a negligence claim over advice a solicitor gave over a Cornish wind farm project.
A&O’s multi-strand strategy to improve diversity of barristers it uses
Broadening the exposure of its solicitors to new barristers, to avoid them just instructing the same counsel, is among the initiatives Allen & Overy is using to improve the diversity of those it instructs.
“Terminate your retainer” if client accepts pre-med whiplash offer
A lawyer whose client accepts a pre-medical offer to settle a whiplash claim against advice would have to terminate their retainer to comply with the Civil Liability Act 2018, a barrister has warned.
Exclusive: Mishcon de Reya drops B Corp status after just seven months
Mishcon de Reya has withdrawn from the B Corporation initiative – for businesses that balances purpose with profit – just months after becoming only the third law firm to achieve it.
PM issues warning to oligarch lawyers as profession hits back at criticism
Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned lawyers and others involved in “assisting corrupt oligarchs” that they will “pay a price” if they have undermined the interests of the UK.
Four-day week delivers for probate firm – but staff must work hard
Staff at a wills and probate business that attracted worldwide media coverage after introducing a four-day week are expected to work harder during their shorter working hours.
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”.
