Compliance & Regulation
Regulators should have access to centralised data on law firms
A centralised ‘risk and intelligence hub’ should be created and accessible to all regulators to flag up law firms showing early signs of systemic failure.
Minister: Mazur supports “growing” case for review of legal regulation
The Mazur ruling is further evidence of “a growing case for re-examining the legislative foundations of legal services regulation”, the Ministry of Justice has said.
Legal Ombudsman seeks 12% budget rise as complaints mount
The Legal Ombudsman has recommended a £2.4m, or 12.1%, increase in its budget for next year to cope with fast-rising levels of complaints and conduct a radical review of how it operates.
Junior solicitor struck off for lying in pupillage application
A junior solicitor at a leading City law firm who lied about his academic achievements on a pupillage application when trying to move to the Bar has been struck off.
First legal executive should have new litigation rights in six weeks
The first chartered legal executive with standalone litigation practice rights could be authorised in six weeks’ time, with around 2,300 expected to apply for them in the next 18 months.
Ethics and profits clash “regularly”, say general counsel
Most general counsel at large UK companies have said that ethical and moral concerns “regularly” come into conflict with “profit motivations”.
A third of law firms non-compliant with AML rules
Nearly a third of law firms checked by the SRA for their approach to anti-money laundering in the past year were non-compliant, a big rise on the previous 12 months.
Male barrister disbarred for sexually harassing woman at social events
A male barrister who sexually harassed the same woman at two different social events has been disbarred by a Bar disciplinary tribunal.
Solicitor who criticised “draconian” strike-off cannot return to roll
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has refused a solicitor’s bid to be restored to the roll just three years after being struck off for dishonesty.
Legal Services Board sets out scope of Mazur review
The Legal Services Board is to probe “the scale and impact” of breaches of the right to conduct litigation in the wake of the Mazur ruling.
Consultancy for law firms and investors spins out of City practice
A specialist strategic consultancy advising lawyers, investors and regulators has spun out of a City law firm as demand for help in navigating the legal market grows.
Law firms disagree on what should be considered a complaint
Law firms are divided over what should be regarded as a complaint from clients, a survey by the Solicitors Regulation Authority has found.
Judge slashes law firm’s costs because of Mazur
A regional costs judge has described how he applied the ruling in Mazur to cut the costs awarded to a law firm in a housing possession case from £3,000 to less than £500.
Pioneering AI law firm untroubled by impact of Mazur
The Mazur ruling will have no impact on the work of the first regulated AI law firm as the technology is not conducting litigation, its founder has asserted.
SSB Law victims pile pressure on SRA over other volume claims firms
The collapse of SSB Law was not a one-off and a wider review of the SRA’s handling of volume claims firms is needed, victims of the scandal have argued.
Blog
Legal director: an alternative to partnership
Firms are increasingly acknowledging the need for alternative senior roles – positions that offer influence and recognition without the obligations of ownership.
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.
