Regulation
Solicitor struck off for property sting on client
A sole practitioner has been struck off for a sting in which a client’s money was used by the solicitor’s business partner to buy a property for a much lower price which was then sold to the client at a profit.
SRA on hunt for ‘strategy and innovation’ director
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is set to appoint a new executive director for strategy and innovation, filling a hole for a policy specialist in the regulator’s senior management team.
Solicitor cleared of trying to mislead Ofsted and tribunal
A solicitor accused of sending a witness statement that was likely to mislead Ofsted and the First-tier Tribunal has been cleared of any wrongdoing. He was found to have acted in good faith.
Freshfields partner fined over night with drunk junior lawyer
A partner at City giant Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer should not have had sex with a drunken junior lawyer after a night out, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal ruled yesterday as it fined him £35,000.
Solicitor jailed for siphoning client money struck off
A solicitor has been struck off after being sentenced to a year in prison for fraudulently siphoning off more than £13,000 from his firm and initially trying to obstruct an investigation of the crime.
“Regal” solicitor underestimated wife’s accounts work
A solicitor who said his role was as his firm’s “figurehead”, like the Queen – and underestimated his wife’s work in running its accounts – has been struck off over improper withdrawals from client accounts.
Barrister convicted of assault suspended for 28 days
A barrister convicted of assault has been suspended for 28 days, just months after he was fined for possessing a Class A drug. His is one of several recent disciplinary cases involving barristers.
City solicitor who lied about passing exam is struck off
A young solicitor who lied to his City employer about passing an insolvency exam – saying it had a “toxic and uncaring environment” – has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
Brexit “will boost work for notaries”
Demand for notarial services is increasing and Brexit could give it a further boost, the new president of the Notaries Society has said. The challenge was how to recruit enough new notaries to meet demand.
Financial services chief to head BSB
The chief executive of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme is to take over as director-general of the Bar Standards Board as we round up several pieces of news from the regulator.
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.
