Regulation
Partner who lied about indemnity insurance is struck off
A solicitor who let his firm operate without indemnity insurance, then lied about it to his regulator and a new insurer, has been struck off.
Minister: “No plans” for review of Legal Services Act
A review of the Legal Services Act 2007 is not on the agenda, the government has confirmed. It also indicated that it was happy with the work done by the Legal Services Board
LSB gives Bar Council a ticking off over staffing criticism
The Legal Services Board has given the Bar Council a slap on the wrist for the comments it made in a Legal Futures article about staffing levels at the oversight regulator.
BSB approves online exams with “astonishing” anti-cheat rules
The Bar Standards Board has announced that Bar students will be able to take this year’s exams online – but barristers have expressed concern about the “astonishing” anti-cheating provisions.
SDT makes open justice pledge over releasing papers
Non-parties should in principle be given access to documents placed before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and referred to during hearings, it has emphasised in a new policy.
SRA: Firms can prolong extended PII cover with agreement
Law firms unable to secure professional indemnity insurance because of Covid-19 can prolong the extended indemnity period by agreement and with regulatory approval.
Law firm facilitated £8m “cheque-clearing scheme”
An experienced solicitor who allowed her firm’s client account to be used as a banking facility in a £8m “cheque-clearing scheme” has been struck off.
Kennedys to launch SQE apprenticeship
City law firm Kennedys is to launch a 30-month ‘graduate solicitor apprenticeship’ when the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) comes into effect in autumn 2021.
Court of Appeal upholds law firm’s Chinese wall
A law firm acting for different defendants against the same claimant does not owe that claimant a true fiduciary duty, and so it does not have to prove its Chinese Wall works, the Court of Appeal has ruled.
Solicitor cleared over alleged confidentiality breach
A solicitor accused of disclosing to a client confidential information about a former client has been cleared of wrongdoing by a disciplinary tribunal.
Blog
Legal director: an alternative to partnership
Firms are increasingly acknowledging the need for alternative senior roles – positions that offer influence and recognition without the obligations of ownership.
It’s time for law firms to ask tougher questions
For years, many law firms have treated ID verification as a box-ticking exercise. Run a liveness check, match a face to a document and move on. But that is no longer good enough.
Business fatigue to AI will risk job security
Whilst we know professional learning has always been part of career paths, to hire, retain and keep talent, AI needs to be embedded as a core part of this training.
