Solicitors
Union attacks Law Society over redundancy plan
The country’s largest trade union has criticised the Law Society for planning redundancies instead of furloughing staff, as well as slashing its presence outside of London.
SRA sees small firm practitioners as “easy targets”
The SRA has come under fire for how it deals with sole practitioners and solicitors at small firms, with the chair of the Society of Black Lawyers saying they were seen as “easy targets”.
Suspended solicitor who “went too far” is struck off
A solicitor who admitted that he “had gone too far and had done too much” by practising while suspended has been struck off, while his supervising partner has been suspended.
SRA: Most firms secured insurance but mergers on the rise
This year’s indemnity insurance renewal season has not been as bad as some had predicted, but there has been an uptick in mergers and acquisitions, the SRA has revealed.
Public does not “fully understand” role of SRA
Members of the public still do not “fully understand” the role of the Solicitors Regulation Authority and leads to complaints about its service, the organisation’s independent reviewer has found.
Womble Bond partners fined over client account failures
A former partner at Womble Bond Dickinson has been fined for using the firm’s client account as a banking facility, as has a current partner who unwittingly took over after he left.
Unregulated firms “will force traditional practices to get better”
The change last year allowing solicitors to practise from unregulated businesses will force traditional law firms to improve their service offering, the Competition and Markets Authority has been told.
Solicitor used ‘rubber’ cheques to hide client money misuse
A solicitor who moved client funds around different accounts to hide the money he was taking for himself – and caused pay-outs from the SRA Compensation Fund – has been struck off.
SRA “may not allow” firms to recharge cost of negative interest rates
The Solicitors Regulation Authority may not allow solicitors to pass on to clients the cost of holding their money if negative interest rates become a reality, an official has suggested.
Homeworking now a “reasonable adjustment” for disabled lawyers
Employment tribunals may in future need to recognise that homeworking has become an established ‘reasonable adjustment’ to working practices for disabled people, including lawyers.
Blog
AI and client confidentiality: the next regulatory faultline
The area most likely to expose firms to regulatory jeopardy in 2026 needs far more guidance: client confidentiality in the age of commercial AI systems.
The UK’s global leadership in lawtech is at risk if women are left behind
Tech has the equivalent of an old boy’s network. That makes it harder for women to break in. It also makes it harder when it comes to networking, finding backers and ultimately clients.
How legal judgement is shifting in in-house practice
Across UK organisations, legal teams are now involved earlier in decision-making, often before proposals have taken a settled shape.
