Latest news
Flaux: Remote hearings robbing junior lawyers of vital experience
Judges will be doing more to encourage the involvement of junior barristers and solicitors in remote hearings, the Chancellor of the High Court has said.
Solicitor “failed to notice” client’s judicial review had been struck out
A solicitor who admitted “not having noticed” that his client’s judicial review had been struck out and not working on the case for almost two years has been fined £12,500.
Law firms eye M&A as route to private equity or listing
Nearly half of law firms are considering mergers and acquisitions, with a surprising number looking to grow in a bid to attract private equity investment or to go public, according to new research.
Judge married to Tory grandee refuses to recuse herself in ex-MP case
A High Court judge married to a senior Conservative politician refused to recuse herself from dealing with a contact dispute that involved a disgraced ex-Tory MP, it has emerged.
Race disparity remains as first SQE results are unveiled
The results for the first ever Solicitors Qualifying Examination assessment showed that, as with the legal practice course, race is a major factor in success. Some 53% passed in all.
High-profile City litigator fails in appeal against strike-off
A former high-profile City litigator has failed in his appeal against being struck off for using a client’s divorce settlement to fund his ventures to pursue digital dispute resolution.
Law firms helping oligarchs suppress criticism “a cancer”, says MP
The government needs to “end the cancer” of high-end law firms selling “intimidation services” to oligarchs and others trying to use the legal system to silence journalists and critics, MPs heard yesterday.
Lawyer jailed after defying order to hand over firm’s files to SRA
A lawyer has been jailed for 13 months after showing a “brazen disregard” for his regulator by failing to hand over his firm’s files to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Judge bemoans huge costs of 17-inch boundary dispute
A circuit judge has said it is “beyond my comprehension” how a boundary dispute over 17 inches of land has racked up costs of around £200,000.
Firm comes off record in face of harassment by angry ex-husband
The High Court has allowed a Kent law firm to come off the record for a woman whose divorced husband has waged a campaign of harassment against it and her for many years.
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”.
