Regulation

The High Court will hear an appeal by the Solicitors Regulation Authority later this month for tougher sanctions on two West Midlands solicitors, suspended for their involvement in a collapsed Brazilian property investment scheme. But the scheme’s liquidators have “reluctantly” decided not pursue legal action against their firm.

The Law Society has issued its first slavery and human trafficking statement, in compliance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015, emphasising its commitment to ensuring that “such practices have no place within its supply chain or other activities”.

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has overridden the objections of the Solicitors Regulation Authority to lift a supervision order imposed on a legal executive after misconduct that took place almost 20 years ago. He had made four false travel expense claims on three fictitious client files.

The Bar Standards Board is to review the role of the Inns of Court in the training of barristers, it has emerged. Among the issues are applying admission requirements, approving pupil supervisors, providing training courses for pupils and student discipline.

A ‘virtual’ chambers that supports direct access work has set up an alternative business structure, as has a niche financial services chambers, which become the second and third to be regulated by the Bar Standards Board. It licensed its first ABS, a collaboration between a London chambers and football agents, earlier this month.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority is anticipating a bump in claims on its compensation fund as a result of solicitors becoming involved in dodgy high-yield investment schemes, it emerged yesterday. Meanwhile, it batted away renewed complaints about the recent decision to close board meetings for the first time since the SRA was created.

Widespread change” is yet to happen at the Bar, with only a small minority of barristers planning to change the way they work or charge fees, a report for the Bar Standards Board has found. Despite the presence of “strong drivers for change”, the report said this did “not necessarily equate to a need or desire for a new approach”.

A secretary at a leading City law firm who submitted false cash advances and a paralegal who drafted misleading grounds of appeal in judicial review cases have both been banned from working in the profession.

A high-profile family law sole practitioner solicitor has acquired a Bar Standards Board-regulated entity because the no-frills regulation it offered was, she said, an “easy fit” for her low-risk practice. Oxford-based Alexandra Lewis Family Law Limited received BSB authorisation at the end of last month.

A government solicitor has been struck off for dishonestly backdating documents in an attempt to cover up his mistake after missing a court deadline in a high-profile case on behalf of the Ministry of Justice. He backdated the documents in order to resist an application for default judgment.