Latest news
Legal aid lawyers under severe pressure because of Covid
Four-fifths of legal aid lawyers have experienced stress as a result of the pandemic, with more than half of them blaming longer working hours, according to a survey.
High Court overturns “flawed” SDT decision to clear solicitor
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal “fell into serious error” in finding no case to answer against a solicitor accused of making a fraudulent costs claim, the High Court has ruled.
Leading firm eyes rapid growth by building “house of brands”
Midlands-based law firm Shakespeare Martineau has outlined a strategy to attract mergers, acquisitions and hires to a “house of brands” and double in size by 2023.
Family lawyers “must be forced to follow good practice”
Family lawyers should be forced to follow good practice to protect children from “acrimonious legal representation”, and should embrace multi-disciplinary practice, a major report has concluded.
Dentons trials workflow app that “could remove” unconscious bias
A global law firm is trialling a workflow app developed by one of its associates, who says it could save City practices up to £6m a year by making work allocation more efficient.
Hundreds of Gateley staff sign up to share options
Around a third of Gateley’s 1,000 staff have taken up options under the listed law firm’s latest save as you earn share scheme, while Ince Group has a new major shareholder.
“Reckless” conveyancer agrees to leave profession
A “reckless” solicitor who admitted registering properties with the wrong purchase price and failing to carry out anti-money laundering checks has agreed to leave the profession.
Solicitors oppose move to digital signatures for LPAs
The vast majority of solicitors want to retain the rule that donors must physically sign lasting powers of attorney (LPAs) rather than move to electronic signatures, a survey has found.
Time for vendor disclosure to replace caveat emptor?
The longstanding principle of caveat emptor could be displaced by vendor disclosure because of the rapid adoption of technology due to lockdown, experts have suggested.
Lawyer founders of listed business to make £46m in share sales
The two lawyers behind Anexo Group – the listed business that owns leading PI law firm Bond Turner – are set to receive £46m after selling some of their shares to a private equity investor.
Blog
Awaab’s Law phase 2: New hazards council tenants can now claim for
The conversation on housing disrepair is moving beyond damp and mould alone. With the rollout of phase 2 of Awaab’s Law, the scope of issues covered is expanding significantly,
Beyond PCP: Can regulators and lawyers work better together next time?
Nearly a decade after the Financial Conduct Authority began investigating the car finance industry, the story of the PCP commission scandal is still unfinished.
Accountability has to live within governance, not with one person
The assumption has long been that a COLP or COFA is personally exposed to the consequences of anti-money laundering breaches.
