Latest news
Solicitor who let one mistake “snowball” fined by tribunal
A solicitor who let one mistake on a property sale snowball so that it affected multiple transactions in a portfolio has been fined £10,000 – even though he preferred to be struck off.
Solicitor struck off for blue badge misuse fails in High Court appeal
A solicitor who used a disabled badge that did not belong to him nine times to park near his law firm has failed in his appeal against being struck off.
Value of medico-legal market slumps by further 5%
The value of the medico-legal market fell by a further 5% last year, after shrinking by 18% during 2020, a report has found, with the lower end hit by the whiplash reforms and court delays.
Partner suspended over gift from client and seeking introduction fee
A former partner at listed law firm Gateley has been suspended for a year after accepting a £2,500 cash gift from a client and later asking the client for an introduction fee.
Retainer entitled law firm to £300,000 fee for aborted bond issue
A small central London law firm has been awarded the £300,000 owed under a retainer which the client had claimed was not payable as the transaction it advised on did not go ahead.
Vulnerable clients struggle in face of “cold, clinical and chaotic” lawyers
Vulnerable clients are being disadvantaged by the “cold, clinical and chaotic manner” in which they are treated by some lawyers, a report for the Legal Services Board has found.
Absolute privilege protects pre-action protocol letters
Absolute privilege applies to communications within pre-action protocols and protects them from defamation claims, a deputy High Court master has ruled in the first such decision.
Company supporting children in care sets up law firm
A company providing transport and other services to children in care has set up an ABS to offer them legal services relating to issues involving family law, crime, housing and immigration.
Barrister failed to justify direct access client’s £420,000 bill
A direct access barrister who failed to justify fees for herself and a colleague of £420,000 plus VAT for a divorce hearing has been fined £5,000 by a Bar disciplinary tribunal.
Tribunal rejects claims from LAA solicitor in WhatsApp row
An employment tribunal has rejected claims from a solicitor at the Legal Aid Agency, disciplined after a heated WhatsApp exchange and a threat to share it with the Law Society.
Blog
The AI governance gap in law firms and why it matters now
A third of law firms are already using AI tools with no formal policy in place to govern how AI gets used, what data goes into it, or who’s accountable when something goes wrong.
Information isn’t oversight – lessons from the PM Law review
The PM Law review’s real findings perhaps point to a failure mode applying to any organisation sitting on scattered risk information.
AI can do the work but it cannot inherit the lawyer’s duty
What happens when lawyers delegate cognitive work to AI but remain personally responsible for judgements they may no longer have independently reasoned through?
Reports
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