Latest news
PDS employee dismissed after work with murderer awarded £100k
The Public Defender Service has been ordered to pay £100,000 in compensation to an employee unfairly dismissed after suffering PTSD due to her work debriefing a murderer.
Costs judge rejects “regrettable” overcharging allegations
A judge has rejected claims by the wife of a convicted Kazakh businessman that she was overcharged by a London law firm for her asylum application.
Law firm fined £18,000 for working with struck-off solicitor
An alternative business structure has been fined £18,000 for working with a struck-off solicitor without the approval of the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Solicitor told SRA client files were “locked in a safe in Pakistan”
A solicitor who told the Solicitors Regulation Authority that his firm’s client files were “locked in a safe in Pakistan”, and used client money to pay a VAT bill, has been struck off.
Cost of practising as a solicitor set to fall by 6.7%
The cost of practising as a solicitor is to fall by 6.7% in the coming year, although it may have to rise in future once the Law Society sets a new reserves policy.
Restrictions would “weaken rule of law”, third-party funders tell UN
The international body for third-party funders has told UNCITRAL that restricting the funding of treaty-based investor-state arbitrations would weaken the rule of law.
Tribunal finally grants first ever collective proceedings order
The Competition Appeal Tribunal yesterday granted the first ever collective proceedings order, allowing the £14bn Mastercard opt-out class action to go forward at last.
Head of failed PI firm struck off for “double funding” cases
The director of a law firm who admitted taking money from two different litigation funders for the same cases in an attempt to keep it operating “at all costs” has been struck off.
Takeover of listed legal services and credit hire group called off
The proposed takeover of Anexo Group PLC – the listed business that owns leading personal injury law firm Bond Turner – was called off yesterday.
MR approves new guideline hourly rates but plans further review
The Master of the Rolls, Sir Geoffrey Vos, has approved the new guideline hourly rates while ordering a further review that will take into account changing working practices.
Blog
The SRA’s client money reforms: good intentions, questionable execution
On the face of it, the SRA’s plans to tighten protections around client money sounds sensible. The detail, as ever, tells a more complicated story.
Recruitment, retention and reward in the legal accounts world
Understanding the legal finance market is important – not just for those actively involved in it day-to-day but also for leaders within law firms.
From ‘year zero’ to £6.5m – how a law firm found its second life
In 2018, I hit what I call ‘year zero’. On paper, Olliers Solicitors was a top-tier criminal defence firm but beneath the surface, I could see we were at a crossroads.
