Latest news
71 bang on the drum for freelance solicitor status
Some 71 solicitors have so far taken advantage of new rules allowing them to practise as freelancers, it has emerged. The SRA is also to issue 20 pieces of new guidance on the STaRs.
Lawyers face new anti-money laundering levy
Lawyers are to face a levy to help fund government action to tackle money laundering and ensure delivery of its economic crime plan, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced in yesterday’s Budget.
Retired solicitor who tried to kiss 15-year-old struck off
A 66-year-old male solicitor found guilty of sexual assault when he tried to kiss a 15-year-old girl in a pub has been struck off in an incident described as “thoroughly unpleasant”.
Bail-jumping barrister suspended after assault conviction
A barrister convicted of assault after beating a woman and of failing to surrender to custody has been reprimanded and suspended from practice for four months.
Mirror’s in-house lawyers under phone-hacking scrutiny
The High Court has rejected a bid to strike out the claim by various public figures that the legal department of MGN Group knew about phone hacking at the Daily Mirror.
Solicitor’s seven-year “exile” ended by STaRs
A pioneering solicitor who came off the roll so she could continue providing housing advice from her unregulated firm has returned to the profession after a seven-year “exile”.
Court service set to pilot online PI claims system
A pilot for dealing with personal injury claims online is set to launch in late spring. It will be developed during the year so claims can be completed online all the way to the final hearing.
Solicitor fined for failing to supervise thieving bookkeeper
A solicitor who failed to properly supervise his firm’s bookkeeper – who went on to steal £25,000 – has been fined £2,000 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the second such sanction he has received.
PI boss fined for forwarding “grossly offensive” email
The former head of catastrophic injury at a Liverpool law firm has been fined £1,600 for forwarding a “highly derogatory and grossly offensive” email to a colleague.
High Court allows new harassment claims against barrister
A High Court judge has allowed three new harassment allegations against barrister Barbara Hewson to go ahead, while upholding an earlier ruling that a host of other ones should be struck out.
Blog
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.
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.
