Compliance & Regulation

A solicitor who lied to both his employer and his regulator by denying he had any kind of relationship with a convicted illegal money lender has been struck off.

The Legal Ombudsman has achieved the required step-change in performance in the last year, it has declared, with waiting times finally falling as 44% more cases were resolved.

HM Treasury has launched a long-awaited consultation that could see a new public body replace legal regulators in supervising lawyers’ anti-money laundering activities.

There are many working practices at the Bar “which may have outlived their usefulness and no longer work in the interests of consumers”, the director general of the Bar Standards Board said yesterday.

Being a higher court judge is “saleable”, with post-judicial work “as significant a perk for many as the knight/damehood”, a former circuit judge has claimed.

A ban on UK lawyers providing ‘legal advisory services’ to Russians comes into force today, while a review has found good level of sanctions compliance among commercial barristers.

The first course offering the new way to qualify as a costs lawyer has begun admitting students in the wake of comments from a High Court master praising the contribution of costs lawyers.

A large conveyancing firm in the North-West is to close its doors on Friday, with its two directors taking some staff to join the practice owned by listed company Smoove.

Retired judges who engage in legal work after their retirement, whether advocacy or litigation, should be regulated by the BSB or SRA, academics have argued.

North London law firm Alexander & Partners has bought parts of the Law Direct group of 13 law firms in a pre-pack following its administration.

A new power for the Solicitors Regulation Authority to levy unlimited fines in cases of economic crime will extend to SLAPPs, the government has confirmed.

The boss of the world’s largest litigation funder has accused the Solicitors Regulation Authority of squandering the opportunities offered by alternative business structures.

Law firms should have to publish their fees for family and employment work beyond unfair dismissal claims, Legal Services Consumer Panel has told the SRA.

A solicitor who lied to various clients about the progress of their matters caused so many claims against his firm that it had to close because of rising indemnity insurance premiums.

Amendments to the Standards & Regulations will not stop law firms invoicing clients in advance and transferring the money into their office accounts, the SRA has said.