Practice Management
Lawtech products “may need direct regulation”
Lawtech products may need to be directly regulated as they become more complex, and it is harder for lawyers to understand how the underlying algorithms work, new research has suggested.
Firm’s negligence had “disastrous consequences” for client
It is difficult to imagine a “more obvious breach of duty” by a conveyancing solicitor than failing to register its new owner, the High Court has said in a case where it had “disastrous consequences”.
Law firms under constant cyber-attack
Law firms are “performing admirably” in response to daily cybersecurity threats, but are still being successfully compromised, research has found.
Gina Miller takes on new campaign: wills reform
Businesswoman Gina Miller has turned to the “outdated” wills legislation in her latest campaign, calling for emergency measures to help people make wills during the Covid-19 crisis.
Crisis gives firms “platform to accelerate change”
The coronavirus crisis has given law firms a “platform to accelerate change” in promoting equality, the chief operating officer of Bristol-based law firm Burges Salmon has said.
Law firms were paid out of frozen bank account
A property investor breached the terms of a freezing order by using company funds to pay outstanding fees to two London law firms, which repaid the money when they found out.
Covid-19 remote hearings “must not become settled norm”
Remote hearings have been a successful emergency measure but should not be taken as establishing a settled mode of operation for the family courts after Covid-19, a leading judge has warned.
Law firm unlocks new funding to develop redaction tool
Weightmans has become the first law firm to secure Bridging for Innovators funding from the Science and Technology Facilities Council, which will help it develop a legal redaction tool.
Shut-down firm ordered to pay former staff £375,000
A law firm shut down by its regulator last year has been ordered to pay former staff £375,000 for multiple employment law breaches.
ODR and sandbox at heart of major lawtech push
An online dispute resolution platform for SMEs and a ‘lawtech sandbox’ were unveiled today as cornerstones of a concerted push to develop digital legal services in the UK.
Blog
Change in regulator shouldn’t make AML less of a priority
While SRA fines for AML have been climbing, many in the profession aren’t confident they will get any relief from the FCA, a body used to dealing with a highly regulated industry.
There are 17 million wills waiting to be written
The main reason cited by people who do not have a will was a lack of awareness as to how to arrange one. As a professional community, we seem to be failing to get our message across.
The case for a single legal services regulator: why the current system is failing
From catastrophic firm collapses to endemic compliance failures, the evidence is mounting that the current multi-regulator model is fundamentally broken.
