Latest news
SRA report 2: Recommendation drives conveyancer choice but call for clearer price information
Consumers select conveyancing solicitors mainly on recommendation, but clearer online information about price would help them make better choices, research commissioned by the Solicitors Regulation Authority has found. It also showed that 82% of consumers were very or fairly satisfied with the service they received.
Solicitor plundered £1m from clients to keep firm afloat – with cost to be borne by profession
A solicitor who took £1m from his client account to keep his firm afloat has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. It said that once Ian James Douglas had decided to embark on this strategy, the “downward spiral was rapid and devastating”.
Bristol fashion – Gordon Dadds makes second acquisition in two weeks
Listed law firm consolidator Gordon Dadds Group has made its second acquisition in as many weeks with a deal to buy Bristol firm Metcalfes Solicitors for an initial £2m, rising to a possible £6m. It also comes just days after Metcalfes acquired fellow generalist Bristol firm Burroughs Day from administration.
Law firm ownership “completely irrelevant” to risk, says SRA director
The ownership structure of law firms is “completely irrelevant” when assessing risk, a director of the Solicitors Regulation Authority said yesterday. Crispin Passmore also reaffirmed the regulator’s determination to change the approach to the minimum cover limit for professional indemnity insurance.
“Motivated by power and status” – solicitor Rahman struck off for election corruption
Lutfur Rahman’s actions in running for re-election as mayor of Tower Hamlets in London were “reprehensible, orchestrated, deliberate and dishonest”, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has ruled in striking him off. It was well known that Mr Rahman was a solicitor and “this would have had a significant detrimental impact on the reputation of the profession”.
Green light for digital conveyancing as CLC aims to be property regulator of choice
The government has approved rule changes opening the way for fully digital conveyancing. The changes will allow digital documents with e-signatures to be used both for land transfers and land registration. Meanwhile, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers has stated its ambition to become “regulator of choice for all property lawyers”.
FRC sanctions auditors in first regulatory action arising from Quindell saga
The Financial Reporting Council has issued the first finding from its two-and-a-half-year investigation into the accounts of Quindell, imposing discounted fines of £780,000 on former auditors who it said had failed to “exercise sufficient professional scepticism”.
Government accused of “pulling its punches” over PI cold-calling ban
The government was accused yesterday of “pulling its punches” and “shilly shallying” over introducing a ban on cold-calling for personal injury claims. The comments came after work and pensions secretary Esther McVey appeared to fudge the commitment the government had previously given in the House of Lords.
Solicitors and technologists form CLC-licensed ABS to launch digital conveyancing venture
An alternative business structure set up by ex-government IT specialists has launched an online service that hopes to harness technology to simplify the conveyancing process. The co-founders of Juno Property Lawyers have worked on some of the highest-profile government IT projects and hired two senior solicitors.
Solicitor struck off for taking money from vulnerable clients while acting as their deputy
A sole practitioner who misappropriated over £170,000 from four vulnerable clients in her role as court-appointed deputy has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. She admitted all the allegations against her, apart from dishonesty, arguing instead that she “got into a muddle”.
Blog
How AI presents real opportunities for barristers
AI presents real opportunities to improve access to justice and to support barristers in day-to-day legal practice. But we all need to understand and mitigate the risks.
Not everything can be a competition issue – a new dawn for consumer redress
Last month, the Law Commission launched a new project to “consider the potential introduction of a consumer class actions regime” in England and Wales.
Modern search is about ‘knowledge’ retrieval
Search has long been understood as data retrieval – the ability to call back information and check a box on finding something. Legal professionals today need more of a 360-degree view on a matter.
