Regulation
“Disgraceful” solicitor left trainee to face angry clients
A “disgraceful” solicitor disappeared with over £415,000 of client money and apparently went travelling to Malaysia, warning his trainee solicitor that “there are going to be some angry clients”.
Union’s arrested head of legal mulls claim against Met Police
A barrister working as a trade union’s in-house lawyer is considering a claim for false imprisonment against the Metropolitan Police after he was briefly arrested on a picket line.
Solicitor fined for acting in conflict of interest
A solicitor who acted where there was a real conflict of interest and paid out almost £6m from buyer clients before they had obtained any security in the flats they were hoping to buy, has been fined.
Firms “risking financial ruin” over SRA prosecutions
Law firms assume – wrongly – that their professional indemnity insurance covers them if they are investigated or prosecuted by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, research has warned.
£1.2m lost after solicitor duped by bogus fee-earner
A solicitor who was duped into employing a bogus solicitor, who then facilitated a £1.2m conveyancing fraud, has been struck off. The fee-earner stole the identity of a genuine solicitor.
Blacker handed suspended sentence for benefit fraud
Alan Blacker, also known as Lord Harley and one of the most talked-about solicitors of recent years, has today received a suspended prison sentence for benefit fraud.
Email scam solicitor used client money to refurbish offices
A solicitor who used £80,000 of client money to refurbish her offices – and paid out another £165,000 of client money after falling victim to two email scams – has been struck off.
SRA offers reassurance over short deadline for AML changes
The Solicitors Regulation Authority will take into account the short period of time law firms have had to comply if they fall foul of today’s new anti-money laundering rules, it has said.
City firms risk breaking rules with onshore centres
City firms with ‘onshore’ offices in cities such as Belfast and Manchester are breaking professional rules by not making it clear to clients where the work is being done, groundbreaking research has suggested.
Tribunal overturns unfair dismissal ruling against partner
An employment tribunal has ruled that it was wrong to uphold an unfair dismissal claim against a partner in a law firm closed down by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Blog
Listening, learning and leading The Solicitor’s Charity with care
As I prepare to hand over the mantle of chair of The Solicitor’s Charity next month, it doesn’t feel like an end. Instead, it feels like a wonderful journey.
Is competition in the legal sector stifling innovation?
As the legal sector’s competitive landscape continues to evolve, Nobel laureates remind us that innovation is not inevitable,and that competition may not always be an incentive to innovate.
What high-performing consumer claims firms get right
Recurring concerns about parts of the volume claims sector show that the gap between well-run firms and those struggling to manage volume effectively is widening.
