Regulation
LSB praises “impressive progress” made by smallest regulator
The Legal Services Board has commended the “impressive progress” made by the Costs Lawyer Standards Board – the smallest of the legal regulators – in meeting its performance framework.
Lewd barrister thought he could act with impunity towards mini-pupil
An experienced barrister who made crude sexual comments to a student on a mini-pupillage thought he could act as he did “without anyone doing anything about it”, a tribunal has found.
Solicitor deceived Claims Direct into paying him £9.75m, judge rules
Colin Poole, the solicitor boss of Claims Direct, deceived the company into paying him £9.75m when he failed to deliver on a promise to divest his interest in his law firm, the High Court has ruled.
Review to probe impact of Post Office scandal on lawyer regulation
A probe into the lessons of the Post Office scandal for corporate governance, criminal justice and lawyer regulation has been launched and will push regulators to effect change.
SRA to follow FCA on capping claims management fees
The SRA is to follow the approach of the Financial Conduct Authority when capping the fees law firms charge for financial services claims management work – and will leave personal injury work alone for now.
£10m paid out last year to victims of solicitors’ dishonesty
The SRA Compensation Fund paid out more than £10m to the victims of solicitors’ financial dishonesty last year, a 37% increase on the previous 12 months, new figures have shown.
SRA formally begins life as a separate corporate entity
The board of trustees and directors of Solicitors Regulation Authority Ltd met for the first time last week after agreeing the transfer of £9m in assets to the new company from the Law Society.
Ban for law firm revenue controller who diverted payments to own bank account
A law firm revenue controller given a suspended jail sentence after diverting £32,000 in payments meant for suppliers to his own bank account has been banned from working in the profession.
SRA keeps SIF open in face of hardening insurance market
A hardening indemnity insurance market and pressure from the Law Society have persuaded the Solicitors Regulation Authority to keep the Solicitors Indemnity Fund open for a further year.
Call to curb return to practice of barristers suspended for sexual misconduct
Barristers suspended for sexual misconduct should face conditions when they return to practice, such as bans from taking pupils or being featured in legal directories.
Blog
The questions that determine if the SRA’s client money reforms will work
Both reforms respond to real and well-evidenced gaps in the current framework. The SRA’s changes after consultation feedback shows it’s listening. But structural change on paper is only half the job.
The new metrics for success in conveyancing
While technology has made much of the conveyancing process faster, there remains a practical limit to how many matters anyone can manage while still keeping standards intact.
The UK legal market is polarising – and the middle is disappearing
Consolidation and the boutique boom are not contradictory. They are the same market stretching apart at both ends – and it changes what your firm is worth, and to whom.
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