Solicitors
Disciplined solicitor blames failings on legal aid cuts
A criminal sole practitioner has been fined for offences which he blamed on having dispensed with his accounts manager after the firm suffered from legal aid cuts.
Heat rising over SRA plan for solicitors in unregulated firms
The Legal Services Board has received unprecedented lobbying against the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s plans to allow solicitors to practise from unregulated businesses.
Leading firm ordered to hand over part of client file to HMRC
National law firm DAC Beachcroft has had mixed success in fighting off a bid by HM Revenue & Customs to access a conveyancing file involving offshore clients.
Four solicitors struck off after leaving firm in £61m debt
Four solicitors have been struck off for their role at a Preston law firm which collapsed owing the scandal-hit Axiom Legal Financing Fund £61m.
Solicitor and barrister both sanctioned for drink driving
A solicitor and barrister have separately been sanctioned for drink-drive offences, although only the latter appeared before a disciplinary tribunal.
City lawyer “diverted client cash to own bank account”
A Spanish lawyer who sent “misleading” emails to divert £183,000 intended for his client to his personal bank account, has been struck off the register of European lawyers.
Divorcing man told: You can’t pay your lawyers without paying your wife’s
The husband in a divorce dispute cannot pay his lawyers a pound without paying a pound to his wife’s solicitors, the High Court has ruled.
Solicitor struck off after income tax fraud conviction
A solicitor who fraudulently claimed £37,000 in income tax repayments has been struck off. Her sentencing judge had said she was “wholly unsuitable to be a solicitor”.
£30k fine for solicitor who sought profit through overcharging
A solicitor who instituted a practice of “gross overcharging” in clinical negligence cases so as to maximise profits has been fined £30,000 by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
Law firm rebuked after overcharging for deputyship work
A Dorset law firm has been rebuked after taking more money in costs than it was entitled to from a man subject to a deputyship order.
Blog
The SRA needs to admit it got it wrong about SLAPPs
The High Court judgment in Ashley Hurst v SRA in January raises serious questions about the regulator’s approach to allegations of SLAPP-like behaviour.
Why menopause support belongs on every law firm’s agenda
Progression in the law slows significantly as women approach senior leadership. Most will be at the height of their careers around the average age menopause symptoms begin.
Law firms need to go beyond document checks
At the root of every failed compliance review is a familiar phrase: a calm assertion of “but we did a document check”.
