Latest news
Solicitor who “accidentally bought run-off cover” struck off
The solicitor at the centre of a collapsed dishonesty prosecution in 2019 has been struck off for dishonesty after a second prosecution for new offences, including practising without insurance.
Negligence claim brought over negligence claim to proceed
A claimant suing his solicitors for negligence in how they pursued a claim for negligence against other solicitors has failed in his bid to appeal a decision to refuse summary judgment.
“Warehoused” case against law firm struck out
The High Court has struck out a professional negligence claim against a London law firm that it decided had been “warehoused”, after the claimant failed to explain why he had not been more active.
Conveyancers might be forced to buy cyber-insurance in PII rejig
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers has mooted requiring law firms to purchase standalone cyber-insurance as “evolving forms of cyber-risk” become more complex.
High Court allows in-house lawyer to appear in $213m contract battle
The High Court has taken the unusual step of allowing a Hong Kong media company to be represented in court by its in-house lawyer in a $213m contract dispute after its external solicitors withdrew.
MIB to probe why unrepresented claimants are shunning whiplash portal
The body that operates the Official Injury Claim portal is to investigate why unrepresented litigants are not using the service. They are bringing fewer than 10% of claims made through the service.
City firm boss and general counsel join slimmed-down SRA board
A heavyweight City solicitor and leading Welsh in-house lawyer have been named as new members of what is now the smallest-ever board of the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Elevate becomes second business with US and English ABSs
Legal consultancy, technology and outsourcing firm Elevate has become the second company to have an alternative business structure in both England and Wales and the US.
Struck-off solicitor accuses SDT of Islamophobia in bid to return to profession
An ex-solicitor who accused the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal of Islamophobia for not having Muslim panel members when striking him off in 2019 has failed in his application to be restored to the roll.
Barrister jailed for five-year fraud to reduce amount of tax he paid
A barrister who lied about his earnings to reduce the amount of tax he paid has been jailed for 21 months.
He deliberately understated his income and inflated his expenses over a five-year period.
Blog
A letter from the SRA? Your first reaction matters
An email from the SRA has a way of rearranging a working day. It arrives in the same inbox as everything else, often in the same measured tone, yet it carries a different weight.
Regulate sole practices on evidence, not turnover
For a sole practice, the SRA’s plan that I cannot hold a compliance role if my firm has more than £600,000 of turnover is not a measure of risk. It is a ceiling on growth.
Is Google becoming pay-to-play for law firms?
For years, law firms have been told that SEO is the long-term alternative to paying for every click. That principle hasn’t disappeared but search results have changed significantly.
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