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Commercial and chancery practitioners are by far the most satisfied practitioners at the Bar, while those in crime and family the least, new research published today by the Bar Council has reported. While only 30% of family and 34% of criminal barristers said they were able to balance their home and work lives, the figure was 61% for commercial and chancery.

Trainee solicitors at the top-paying firms receive more than three times those at the bottom, while the pay gap in earnings of female and black trainees has widened since the minimum salary was scrapped, a survey has found.

A solicitor who acted for jailed UKIP MEP Ashley Mote, jailed in 2015 for fraudulently claiming £400,000 in European Parliament expenses, has failed to overturn his striking off at the High Court. He had been struck off after allowing around £60,000 of European Parliament funds to be used for various legal matters Mr Mote was facing which did not relate to his work as an MEP.

A fast-growing personal pension provider has set up an alternative business structure (ABS) to provide legal services for its portfolio of more than 6,000 commercial properties. Gemma Millard, director of Rivergate Legal, said Curtis Banks had added the ABS to its panel of law firms but “ultimately” the new business could work for anybody.

A former manager of Cheshire firm Bott & Co’s flight delay team has been fined £4,000 by the Solicitor Regulation Authority for lying to clients. He was also banned from owning or working in ABSs, in a rare use of the power in section 99 of the Legal Services Act 2007.

A partner who made a series of improper withdrawals from law firms’ client accounts totalling almost £2m has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. Though he had used money from his father-in-law’s client account to pay his own tax bill, in general the tribunal could not identify his motivation.

A Cheshire claims management company (CMC) is training law firms on how to handle mortgage mis-selling claims, it has emerged. The ME Group, set up by non-lawyer managers from Liverpool law firm High Street Solicitors, opened for business in September last year with only five staff. It has already expanded to 110.

A website offering free legal advice to injured cyclists has been launched with the aim of removing the need for solicitors and saving victims “an average of £800”. It offers a possible vision of the future if the small claims limit goes up as intended by the government.

US-based medical reports giant ExamWorks – which owns leading UK provider Premex – has bought a personal injury firm as part of its acquisition of leading accident management group Kindertons. Jigsaw Law was originally a claims management company but was granted an alternative business structure licence in late 2012.

The former partner whose conduct in a dubious investment scheme led to the record £500,000 fine for US law firm Locke Lord last year has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. Multiple allegations against Jonathan Denton – including that he acted dishonestly – were found proven and it emerged that he is now also facing criminal charges.