Latest news
High Court dismisses depressed solicitor’s appeal against strike-off
The High Court has rejected an appeal by a former solicitor who claimed that the disciplinary tribunal which struck him off should have dismissed the prosecution because of his mental ill-health.
Barrister who failed to pass on fees to colleague suspended
A public access barrister who failed to pass on fees payable to a colleague has been suspended by a disciplinary tribunal. She was given a further suspension for not telling a client about a court order.
Listed law firm raises £10m acquisition warchest
Listed law firm Gordon Dadds Group today announced its intention to raise £10m from institutional shareholders to help fund its increasingly international acquisition strategy.
Conveyancing referral fee rules given year to work to avoid ban
New rules requiring estate agents to be transparent about referral fees received from conveyancers will have a year to prove themselves or a ban will be back on the table, the housing minister has said.
LSB rules “could stop Law Society from criticising SRA”
The Law Society has said it is “deeply concerned” that new rules proposed by the Legal Services Board could largely prevent it from either lobbying or criticising the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Getting it right first time: LeO rolls out new complaints approach
A new operational model for handling complaints, piloted last year by the Legal Ombudsman, has boosted quality and efficiency, and helped it get “the work right first time”.
Bullying and harassment calls to legal helpline double
Calls from lawyers complaining of bullying and harassment to health support charity LawCare almost doubled last year, but there has been no massive spike in calls about sexual harassment.
Panel questions future of underperforming regulator
The position of the smaller legal regulators has been thrust into the spotlight, with the chair of the Legal Services Consumer Panel suggesting that one may be at risk of losing its right to regulate.
Research to probe ethical issues raised by legal technology
A project that will look at the ethical and others issues that technology raises for legal services and their regulation has been launched by the Legal Services Board.
Regulators “must be pressured” to publish lawyers’ disciplinary records
The Legal Services Board is not putting enough pressure on the frontline regulators to publish details of lawyers’ disciplinary records on their online registers, it has been claimed.
Blog
Amplifying reach through employee-driven thought leadership
Nine in 10 executives believe thought leadership is critical to building authority, yet only a quarter feel they have implemented a robust strategy.
Divorce escrow: asset sales before final settlement
When significant matrimonial assets are sold before a final financial order is agreed, holding the proceeds safely and neutrally can present real practical challenges.
AML lacks clarity – and standards are suffering
If firms are buckling under the pressure of AML regulations, subject to ever-increasing fines, then something is clearly not working as it should be.
