Solicitors

The Legal Services Consumer Panel has warned that the second phase of reforms to the Solicitors Regulation Authority Handbook would “compound existing complexities” and could further confuse consumers. It said the reforms were “unlikely to assist consumers, especially vulnerable ones, in choosing services in times of distress”.

A CILEx member and assistant solicitor have been rebuked and fined for not making clear that they were acting for the company that referred its customers to them, rather than the customers themselves. They also admitted not recommending that the customers seek independent legal advice.

A three-year qualified solicitor has been struck off for dishonestly fabricating documents to cover up the fact she failed to negotiate an increase to after-the-event insurance cover. This meant her client or firm faced having to pay the other side’s costs.

Students from white backgrounds are almost twice as likely as those from black backgrounds to pass the legal practice course (LPC), new figures have revealed. They also revealed a massive performance gap between LPC institutions, with one provider achieving a pass rate of 100%, compared to 30% for the worst performer.

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has expressed surprise that City giant Clifford Chance was not charged with a lack of integrity or acting recklessly in its conduct of the Excalibur case, it has emerged. However, despite being “very troubled” by the limited nature of the allegations of misconduct, the tribunal concluded that it could not go behind the SRA’s charge sheet.

A solicitor has been struck off for bringing judicial review claims on behalf of immigration clients that he knew were hopeless but would thwart or delay their removal from the UK and potentially even lead to their release from detention.

A boutique City litigation practice has successfully settled claims by a group of 48 investors against US law firm Locke Lord, it has emerged. Last month, the firm was fined a record £500,000 after a former partner was found to have run dubious high-yield investment schemes.

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has again reached a highly unusual majority decision in the Leigh Day case, this time on the costs of the case. Two members of the tribunal decided that there should be no order for costs, but the third member argued that Leigh Day should be awarded 40% of its costs of the proceedings.

There is still some bad practice among personal injury firms – particularly around their relationships with work introducers and other third parties – but overall it is a positive picture of good practice and compliance, the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s has found. It also suggested that the low level of reported fraud was because defendant firms chose to opt for a discontinuance rather than press the issue.

Only a third of law firms are telling clients who make a complaint that they can refer it to the Legal Ombudsman if they are not satisfied with the outcome, research by the Solicitors Regulation Authority has found. The report also revealed limited support among firms for the compulsory publication of first-tier complaints data.