Compliance & Regulation
SRA intervenes into 11 firms making up PM Law group
The SRA has intervened into 11 law firms that between them have 30 trading names following the sudden closure on Monday of the PM Law group..
Law firm can go ahead with Legal Ombudsman judicial review
A law firm has won permission to judicially review a decision by the Legal Ombudsman to award a former client £66,000 in compensation and refunded or waived legal fees.
SRA and FCA warn over multiple representation and termination fees
The SRA and FCA have joined forces to warn about multiple representation and excessive termination fees in motor finance claims.
Confusion reigns as 600-person law firm group suddenly shuts
A group employing 600 people across multiple law firms and offices around the country suddenly closed its doors this week, sparking widespread uncertainty and confusion.
Cost of SRA investigation and enforcement work soars to £23m
The amount of money spent by the Solicitors Regulation Authority on investigations and enforcement has spiralled by 61% over six years, new figures have shown.
In-house lawyer who lied on CVs to “create a persona” struck off
An in-house lawyer who said he lied on a number of CVs to create “a persona that he thought was required for a role in private practice” has been struck off.
Fine for law firm that allowed $23m to go through client account
A law firm run by an ex-Law Society president has been fined £68,000 for anti-money laundering failures, including allowing $23m to pass through its client account with no underlying legal work.
MoJ client account interest plan a “stealth tax on legal services”
The Ministry of Justice’s plan to use client account interest to fund its work is “nothing more than a stealth tax on legal services”, according to the first public response to its consultation.
Tribunal: AI use adds to doubts over would-be lawyer’s integrity
A legal practice course graduate seeking authorisation as an immigration adviser raised concerns about his integrity by citing fake cases generated by ChatGPT, a tribunal has ruled.
LSB, APIL and Law Centres Federation to intervene in Mazur
The Legal Services Board, the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, and the Law Centres Federation have all been granted permission to intervene in next month’s Mazur appeal.
Solicitor struck off for selling property without co-owner’s knowledge
A solicitor who sold a property he part-owned without the knowledge of his co-owner has been struck off, with the SDT finding he was “primarily motivated” by resentment.
Lawyers sign letter to Starmer calling for “universal” anti-SLAPPs law
A group of media lawyers, including newspaper general counsel and KCs, have put their names to an open letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer calling for stronger anti-SLAPP provisions.
Advice on conduct of litigation was not clear enough, LSB finds
Some of the information provided to lawyers over the years about the conduct of litigation was not clear enough, the Legal Services Board has concluded.
SQE delivering diverse cohort of students, figures show
The Solicitors Qualifying Examination is attracting a diverse range of candidates, with 35% from an ethnic minority and 37% from ‘less privileged’ backgrounds.
High Court rejects law firm’s challenge to costly LeO decision
The High Court has refused a law firm permission to challenge a decision of the Legal Ombudsman which cost it over £115,000 in compensation and reduced costs.
Blog
The formula for finance-enabled business development
Client concentration or over-dependence now counts as a top strategic risk for 26% of firms. Cross-selling is an antidote – a way to bolster revenue resilience without relying on client acquisition.
Whistleblowing guidance for in-house lawyers – a call to arms
In-house lawyers are in a unique position to spot wrongdoing. But reporting it is not just potentially dangerous from a personal point of view.
The importance of benchmarking reports – and lessons on profitability
Regional firms reported the largest revenue growth this year (12%), outpacing their City counterparts. Yet many are not converting that growth into profitability.
