Latest news
Post Office KC stresses advocacy role for juniors in inquiries
Being on the barrister team for public inquiries can “stifle career development” despite the prestige if there is little actual advocacy involved, according to the head of the Post Office inquiry team.
Law firm slapped with £80,000 fine for AML breaches
A London law firm has been fined nearly £80,000 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority for failures to comply with the anti-money laundering rules, one of the largest to date.
Still no timeline for ABSs in Scotland despite new law
The Law Society of Scotland has declined to confirm when it will introduce alternative business structures now that all ownership restrictions on them have been removed.
Ex-managing partner fails in appeal against £210k costs award
A former managing partner has failed in his appeal against a £210,000 costs order after trying to mislead an employment tribunal in a claim against his firm.
No “generalised” ethical failure among solicitors, insists Law Society
High-profile scandals like the Post Office are “not indicative of a generalised failure of ethical standards within the profession”, the Law Society has insisted.
CJC calls for “urgent” government review of SSB-style funding
The government needs to urgently investigate the type of litigation funding used by collapsed law firms like SSB Law and Pure Legal, the Civil Justice Council said yesterday.
City partner “erroneously” paid out £2.2m to developer client
A partner at DWF has been fined £14,000 for wrongly approving £2.2m in payments to a developer which later went bust, leaving the firm to recompense out-of-pocket buyers.
Private equity firm eyes bid for personal injury group
A private equity firm is poised to bid for Frenkel Topping Group, which seeks to offer everything except legal advice in support of personal injury and clinical negligence victims.
CJC calls for “light-touch regulation” of third-party litigation funding
The Civil Justice Council working party on litigation funding today recommended the introduction of “light-touch regulation” through legislation.
Solicitor who worked for three firms at same time struck off
A locum solicitor whose timesheets claimed for the same time from two different firms – while employed full-time at a third – has been struck off.
Blog
The SRA needs to admit it got it wrong about SLAPPs
The High Court judgment in Ashley Hurst v SRA in January raises serious questions about the regulator’s approach to allegations of SLAPP-like behaviour.
Why menopause support belongs on every law firm’s agenda
Progression in the law slows significantly as women approach senior leadership. Most will be at the height of their careers around the average age menopause symptoms begin.
Law firms need to go beyond document checks
At the root of every failed compliance review is a familiar phrase: a calm assertion of “but we did a document check”.
