Practice Management
SRA issues warning over inducements ban
The Solicitors Regulation Authority will not introduce specific rules to deal with the upcoming legislative ban on personal injury law firms paying inducements to claim, but has pledged to take “strong enforcement action” if firms breach it.
Consumer panel calls into question barristers’ £500,000 indemnity limit
The Legal Services Consumer Panel has called into question the existing minimum indemnity cover limit of £500,000 for barristers and called for more research before the limit was extended to firms regulated by the Bar Standards Board.
QS firm wins appeal over Polish paralegal “harassment”
A Walsall law firm has successfully appealed an employment tribunal ruling that a paralegal had been unlawfully harassed because she was Polish.
Large firms finding they can’t “go it alone” in PI marketing
Leading marketing collective First4Lawyers said today that it has seen a clutch of larger personal injury (PI) firms return to its panel in recognition of the need for scale to compete effectively in the market.
Fine for paralegal who moved firms and took sensitive data with him
A paralegal who took sensitive information from his employer when moving to a rival law firm was convicted of a criminal offence under the Data Protection Act this week.
First sanction for firm that failed to close after extended indemnity period
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has published its first decision fining a law firm for not closing down properly after failure to secure indemnity cover by the end of the extended policy period (EPP).
SRA stands firm on indemnity cover cut
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has hit back at criticism from the Legal Services Board (LSB) over its plans to cut the minimum compulsory cover for law firms from £2m to £500,000.
Bar Mutual complaints referred to financial ombudsman
Two barristers caught up in high-profile disciplinary actions have referred complaints about lack of funding from the Bar Mutual indemnity fund to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), it has emerged.
Law Society advertising campaign highlights “regulated and insured” professionals
The Law Society’s latest advertising campaign, launched today, highlights the role of solicitors as regulated professionals, under the slogan ‘Use a Professional. Use a Solicitor.’
LSB: more needs to be done to break hold of the ‘elite’ on legal profession
There needs to be “significantly more progress” to break the hold of Britain’s elite on the legal profession, the Legal Services Board has claimed. It followed a report published last week that found fewer senior judges went to comprehensive schools than any other group of top professionals.
Blog
Modern vehicles: new injury profiles and new legal challenges
As the number of electric vehicles on UK roads continues to grow year-on-year, it is important to address the risks that come with their increased adoption.
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.
