Latest news
Big firms “recognise the threat” of market disruptors, but not many are responding to it
Most of the top 100 law firms now recognise ‘the need to respond to the digital age’ in the face of market disruptors, but less than a quarter have actually done so, accountants PwC have found.
Ban all payments to instructing solicitors so as to defeat the “charlatans”, says Bar Council chair
There are no depths to the “ingenious means by which these charlatans would seek to dress up their referral fees”, the chairman of the Bar Council has said as he attacked the “grubby and squalid” back-handers paid by some barristers in exchange for work from solicitors.
Cyber criminals caused “substantial losses” to 50 law firms this year, SRA says
Cyber criminals have caused “substantial losses” to 50 law firms this year, ranging from £50,000 to £2m, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has said. The regulator said a further 20 firms had fallen victim to email redirection scams.
Public takes a dimmer view of misconduct by senior solicitors than fellow professionals, research finds
Members of the public would take a stricter line on senior solicitors who err in their private lives than would solicitors themselves, research has suggested. The public would also be kinder to young lawyers, according to the findings from the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
A record £570,000 fine and premises searched – regulator clamps down on CMCs
The Claims Management Regulator has handed out its biggest fine to date – £570,000 – and raided the offices of three other claims management companies as it tries to crack down on bad practices in the sector.
Exclusive: Blame game after MoJ officials wrongly tell MPs that ex-chief ombudsman was sacked
Ministry of Justice (MoJ) officials were wrong to tell MPs this week that the former Chief Legal Ombudsman, Adam Sampson, was dismissed from his post. The MoJ has sought to blame the Office of Legal Complaints – the board that oversees the Legal Ombudsman service – for the error.
Philip: If it’s a new law firm, it should be an ABS
There is no reason why solicitors setting up a new law firm should not do so as an alternative business structure, the chief executive of the Solicitors Regulation Authority has said. Mr Philip predicted that solicitors would in the future be ” business people first”.
“Don’t connect with strangers on LinkedIn”, social media specialist tells lawyers
Lawyers should not connect on LinkedIn with anyone they have not met or already communicated with, a social media specialist has warned in the wake of the controversy that followed barrister Charlotte Proudman tweeting a comment made to her on LinkedIn.
Solicitor expelled from profession for lying about ‘progress’ of cases that had actually been struck out
A solicitor who deceived his firm and his clients for 13 months into thinking that he was pursuing their group employment tribunal claims, when in fact they had been struck out because of his inactivity, has been removed from the profession.
SRA shuts down 18-office legal aid firm
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has closed down the UK’s leading mental health practice, Blavo & Co, and named seven law firms to handle the outstanding case load. The regulator said it had acted because there was “reason to suspect dishonesty”.
Blog
Mazur: a symptom not a cause?
If Mazur is a symptom, what does it mean for the underlying health of our civil justice system: the ‘finest legal system in the world’?
Cross-generation collaboration: the key to in-house legal tech adoption
In-house legal function leaders will increasingly have to evolve their thinking on how to manage multigenerational teams containing differing levels of technological expertise.
AI and law firm risk – the view of professional indemnity insurers
In considering law firm applications for cover, many insurers will expect to see evidence of how firms are adapting to AI and preparing for the future.
