Solicitors
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.
Junior lawyers “lose confidence” in SRA after Matthews case
Junior lawyers have lost confidence in the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s approach to dealing with inexperienced solicitors who have mental health issues or worked in toxic environments.
LSB to check random sample of disciplinary decisions
The Legal Services Board is planning to review a “random sample” of regulators’ disciplinary decisions to ensure the right processes and procedures are in place.
Solicitor struck off for sub-letting council home
A solicitor convicted of illegally subletting his council flat knew “right from wrong” despite ill health and personal problems, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has found.
Partners fined for sitting on almost 1,000 residual balances
Four partners in a Welsh law firm have been fined for sitting on 979 residual balances, totalling over £468,000, for “lengthy periods of time” and where there had been no activity for six months.
Blog
Your landlord clients have prepared for the wrong law
Lawyers advising major landlords and build-to-rent operators have spent the better part of a year on the Renters’ Rights Act. A good deal of that advice has been aimed at the wrong risk.
Your website is losing clients before they even pick up the phone
Your website visitor is likely already carrying stress before they arrive. If your site adds to it rather than relieves it, you have likely lost a prospective client.
The growing importance of higher limits in personal ATE
While the personal litigation market is undergoing a period of significant change as claims become more complex, much of the ATE insurance market has remained relatively static.
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