Latest news
Investors back conveyancing network and managed account provider
A blockchain network that connects conveyancers with estate agents and mortgage lenders and the company that provides third-party managed accounts for lawyers have both received new investment.
Surge in number of freelancers as solicitors reach for the STaRs
The number of freelance solicitors has risen by more than a third since April to 413, with many solicitors saying the SRA’s Standards and Regulations have given them greater flexibility in how they work.
Review calls for £135m cash injection to save criminal defence sector
An immediate £135m cash injection is needed to stop the provision of criminal defence services by solicitors and barristers collapsing, but the market does not need “radical reform”, a major review has concluded.
Solicitor who backdated tribunal application “to avoid criticism” struck off
A veteran solicitor who backdated an application to the property chamber of the First-tier Tribunal after missing a deadline has accepted being struck off.
Start-up enables general counsel to compare law firms on ESG
A start-up launched by two former general counsel at Zurich Insurance Group has created a tool to help in-house lawyers compare the performance of law firms in addressing ESG issues.
High Court makes “first” compulsory ADR order in commercial case
A High Court master has made the first ever order for compulsory alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in commercial litigation, according to a City litigator.
Ethics opinion stymies UK ABS’s takeover of New York law firm
A London-listed law firm’s bid to buy a New York practice has led the state Bar association to limit the circumstances in which New York lawyers can work for firms owned by non-lawyers.
Solicitor who “faced up to his problems” regains right to practise
A solicitor who “turned his life around” and “faced up to his problems”, including alcohol addiction, after being suspended has regained his practising certificate.
Innovation the big benefit of remote working, law firms say
Remote working during the pandemic has accelerated innovation at law firms but made supervision more difficult, a survey has found.
SRA pays solicitor record £228k in costs over “improper” prosecution
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has paid a record £228,000 in costs to a solicitor whose prosecution a disciplinary tribunal found was “improperly brought and pursued”.
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”.
