Other lawyers
Conveyancing giant “to play big role” in parent PLC’s recovery
One of the ‘big five’ conveyancing law firms is aiming for more market share and remortgage work as part of efforts to steady its struggling parent company.
LSB: SMEs attracted by firms with price transparency
When small businesses believe they can trust the transparency of legal providers on fees, they are twice as likely to seek the advice of lawyers, according to the Legal Services Board.
Former cabinet minister to chair IP regulator
The Intellectual Property Regulation Board has unveiled Lord Smith of Finsbury – better known as the former Labour cabinet minister Chris Smith – as its new chair.
FCA will have power to cap personal injury CMCs’ fees
The Financial Conduct Authority will have the power to cap the fees of personal injury CMCs, although there is currently no need, says the Treasury.
LSB reforms to end “different treatment” for accountants
The Legal Services Board is to impose reform that will end the “different treatment” for accountancy regulators which also oversee legal services.
Unqualified legal services company staff convicted of fraud
Four managers of an unregulated company that offered legal services have been convicted of defrauding clients and unlawfully providing immigration advice.
ICAEW takes voluntary approach to firms publishing prices
The accountancy regulator has decided not to force its firms that provide reserved probate services to publish their fees – unlike the legal regulators.
CMCs turn from holiday sickness to housing disrepair cases
Claims management companies are moving into property related complaints as the surge in holiday sickness claims has been brought under control.
Report calls for crackdown on unqualified immigration advisers
Regulators must tighten their rules on training and supervision of unqualified immigration advisers, a major report has recommended. It also called for limits on the introduction of virtual trials.
Claims management company loses appeal against £533,000 fine
A leading claims management company fined £533,000 for multiple rule breaches – including its sales agents calling banks pretending to be customers – has lost an appeal against the sanction. The tribunal heard the call of an employee telling his grandmother that the CMC had changed its working practices for a regulatory audit.
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.
