Latest news
Public does not “fully understand” role of SRA
Members of the public still do not “fully understand” the role of the Solicitors Regulation Authority and leads to complaints about its service, the organisation’s independent reviewer has found.
Leading firm signs up to solicitor’s ‘Fair Redundancy Pledge’
Law firm Shakespeare Martineau has become the first major business to sign up to a ‘Fair Redundancy Pledge’ to be transparent on their redundancy programmes for this year and beyond.
Womble Bond partners fined over client account failures
A former partner at Womble Bond Dickinson has been fined for using the firm’s client account as a banking facility, as has a current partner who unwittingly took over after he left.
Barrister gave court wrong address to “fraudulently” obtain divorce
A barrister who deliberately gave the court a wrong address “with the intention of obtaining a divorce fraudulently” has been disbarred.
Abuser fails in argument that ‘Covid pressure’ made conviction unsafe
The Court of Appeal has refused a man leave to appeal his conviction on the ground that the jury may have felt under pressure to return a verdict because the coronavirus crisis was developing.
Unregulated firms “will force traditional practices to get better”
The change last year allowing solicitors to practise from unregulated businesses will force traditional law firms to improve their service offering, the Competition and Markets Authority has been told.
Solicitor used ‘rubber’ cheques to hide client money misuse
A solicitor who moved client funds around different accounts to hide the money he was taking for himself – and caused pay-outs from the SRA Compensation Fund – has been struck off.
SRA “may not allow” firms to recharge cost of negative interest rates
The Solicitors Regulation Authority may not allow solicitors to pass on to clients the cost of holding their money if negative interest rates become a reality, an official has suggested.
Homeworking now a “reasonable adjustment” for disabled lawyers
Employment tribunals may in future need to recognise that homeworking has become an established ‘reasonable adjustment’ to working practices for disabled people, including lawyers.
Solicitor who sold business for £61m: I couldn’t do it in a law firm
The traditional law firm model does not support entrepreneurs who want to build and sell a business, according to the solicitor who last week sold his company for £61m.
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.
