Regulation
Jailed solicitor struck off for historic child abuse convictions
A veteran solicitor serving nearly nine years in prison after being convicted of multiple counts of historic indecent assault against children has been struck off.
£60k fine and JR ban for immigration solicitor
An immigration solicitor who brought meritless judicial reviews has been fined £60,000 and banned for an indefinite period from making further applications.
Government eyes regulating the law’s unregulated providers
The Ministry of Justice is considering whether to create a register of unregulated providers of legal services and give their clients access to redress if things go wrong, it emerged yesterday.
Commercial chambers offers £20k to fund withdrawn pupillage at crime set
A London commercial chambers has put up £20,000 to fund a pupillage that a criminal set has had to withdraw because of the impact of Covid-19, in a move hailed as showing the spirit of the Bar.
Solicitor who raided client’s estate to pay debts is struck off
A solicitor who used £100,000 from a client’s estate to pay debts to HM Revenue & Customs and an indemnity insurer before closing his firm has been struck off.
PI solicitor “compromised independence” in dealings with CMC
A personal injury solicitor has been sanctioned for allowing the claims management company that supplied almost all of his work to dictate the terms of clients’ engagement with his firm.
Convicted conveyancer struck off for facilitiating mortgage fraud
A conveyancer who recklessly facilitated a mortgage fraud before being convicted of three money laundering offences and then failing to surrender to bail has been struck off.
BSB: Exams problems “worse than thought” as it rejects alternative plan
Problems with the Bar exams were far more extensive than previously reported, the Bar Standards Board admits as barristers warn that ‘pen and paper’ resits next month could breach equality law.
Firm fined for secretly charging clients to repay loan
A law firm which surcharged more than 2,000 clients to help repay the loan it took out for a new case management system has been fined £30,000 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
High Court rejects challenge to foreign in-house lawyers’ privilege
Legal advice privilege extends to communications with foreign lawyers working in-house even if they are not recognised or regulated as “professional lawyers”, the High Court has ruled.
Blog
Is your Google Ads budget funding your competitors’ AI visibility?
If your cost-per-click has crept up again this year, you’ve probably assumed the market simply got more expensive. That’s the wrong way to read what’s happening.
Containing the spread of unapproved AI
Nearly 60% of fee-earners admit to using unapproved tools (like free versions of ChatGPT). Yet 68% of firm leaders are confident there is zero risk of unapproved AI being used for client work.
When AI adoption goes wrong, costs add up fast
City AM recently reported that London is fighting to claim the title of ‘global capital of legal AI’. However, it’s crucial we remember that adoption alone does not create value.
