Regulation
Law Society: Employer clients’ interests don’t trump all in NDAs
The Law Society has reminded solicitors that their duty to act in their client’s best interests can be trumped by other obligations when drafting non-disclosure agreements.
Jail for solicitor “who wouldn’t ask too many questions”
A solicitor who was the ‘go to’ lawyer for a gang of criminals because he would not ask too many questions about where their money came from has been jailed for seven years.
Solicitor who ran unauthorised law firm struck off
A solicitor who said his unauthorised firm was acting only for “family and friends” has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, which said this made no difference.
SDT shows leniency to solicitor who faked sick note
An experienced solicitor escaped with an indefinite suspension after a tribunal accepted her plea that she had falsified a client’s sick note while suffering from mental ill-health.
Solicitor jailed for fine wine scam ordered to repay thousands
A solicitor who took £100,000 from a fine wine scam on investors has been ordered to pay back less than a quarter of the sum or face more jail time.
Consumer panel attacks BSB over price transparency
Access to justice includes information about lawyers’ fees, the Legal Services Consumer Panel has told the Bar Standards Board. It also called for more focus on barristers’ communication skills.
Solicitor fined for breaking referral fee ban – again
A solicitor who broke the personal injury referral fee ban by paying an unlicensed claims management company over £200,000 in only six months has been fined.
Blavo told to repay £22m over “endemic” legal aid fraud
The practice of making fraudulent legal aid claims was “endemic” at Blavo & Co, which at its height was one of the largest legal aid firms in the country, the High Court has found.
Tax fraud solicitor struck off despite police plot plea
A solicitor convicted of tax fraud has been struck off, with a disciplinary tribunal rejecting his claim that he had been the victim of a police campaign to “get” him.
Solicitor “named client as defendant in claim against firm”
A solicitor who named his client as the defendant in a claim against the firm by an expert witness has been struck off. His motivation was to protect his firm’s reputation, a tribunal suggested.
Blog
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.
Law firms need to go beyond document checks
At the root of every failed compliance review is a familiar phrase: a calm assertion of “but we did a document check”.
