Other lawyers
LSB rethinks rule stopping rep bodies from “influencing” regulators
The Legal Services Board is pulling back on proposed rules that would not allow bodies like the Law Society and Bar Council to try and “influence” their regulatory arms.
Legal regulators “should develop common standards” for TPMAs
Legal regulators need to introduce common standards for providers of third-party managed accounts as the move for them to replace client account gathers pace, a leading payment processor has argued.
Three convicted for providing unregulated legal advice
Owners of a business that falsely claimed it could supervise immigration law firms and made millions of pounds as a result, along with a director of one of those franchises, have been convicted.
Tribunal upholds decision to strip CMC of right to operate
A woman who operated an Indian-based call centre to generate personal injury and PPI leads for law firms has lost her bid to overturn the cancellation of her authorisation to provide claims management services.
CLC set to back third-party managed accounts
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers is proposing to join the Solicitors Regulation Authority in allowing the lawyers it regulates to use third-party managed accounts.
Tribunal halves CMC’s £200k fine for calling people it shouldn’t
The First-tier Tribunal has halved at £198,000 fine imposed on a claims management company for calling people registered with the Telephone Preference Service.
Immigration adviser who acted beyond remit referred to regulator
The Upper Tribunal has referred an immigration adviser “persuaded to act outside his remit by the entreaties of clients” to the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner.
Regulation shift leads to further fall in number of CMCs
The shift of claims management company regulation to the Financial Conduct Authority has led to a further shake-out of the sector, new figures have indicated.
Developers pledge proper legal advice for leaseholders
More than 40 leading property developers and freeholders – but no lawyers as yet – have signed a government-backed pledge that highlights the duty of conveyancers to act in the best interests of clients.
Accountants lose appeal over regulation refusal
The High Court has rejected a challenge from the ICAEW to the Lord Chancellor’s decision that its members should not be allowed to handle tax-related litigation, advocacy and legal instruments work
Trading Standards publishes guidance on conveyancing referral fees
The clock on a possible ban on referral fees from lawyers to estate agents has started running after new guidance on disclosure was published by National Trading Standards.
Unqualified adviser admits acting for 200 clients
A man who admitted acting for 200 clients who wrongly believed he was qualified to give them immigration law advice is one of three such offenders to be sentenced recently.
CILEx targets total independence for regulator
The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives has become the first approved legal regulator to announce its intention to give its regulatory body complete structural independence.
Panel questions future of underperforming regulator
The position of the smaller legal regulators has been thrust into the spotlight, with the chair of the Legal Services Consumer Panel suggesting that one may be at risk of losing its right to regulate.
Regulators “must be pressured” to publish lawyers’ disciplinary records
The Legal Services Board is not putting enough pressure on the frontline regulators to publish details of lawyers’ disciplinary records on their online registers, it has been claimed.
Blog
It’s time for law firms to ask tougher questions
For years, many law firms have treated ID verification as a box-ticking exercise. Run a liveness check, match a face to a document and move on. But that is no longer good enough.
Business fatigue to AI will risk job security
Whilst we know professional learning has always been part of career paths, to hire, retain and keep talent, AI needs to be embedded as a core part of this training.
On good authority? GenAI and the reputational risks to law firms
As GenAI’s influence grows, so do the risks which are already playing out in courtrooms across England and Wales, where some early adopters are setting precedents they would rather not.
