Compliance & Regulation

In-house lawyers are generally able to withstand pressures on their independence but a minority report demands to act unethically, according to Solicitors Regulation Authority research.

A solicitor has been fined for arranging 47 loans between clients – one of which was his own late mother’s estate – totalling almost £1.8m, many of which were made without written agreement or security.

A barrister jailed for fraudulently using his grandmother’s bank account and bank card to withdraw cash and transfer funds to himself has been disbarred.

An experienced solicitor who failed to react to a series of red flags on two dubious property sales has admitted to being manifestly incompetent. He and his supervisor were fined.

Former solicitor Sophie Khan is heading to jail for a second time for contempt of court after again failing to hand over documents sought by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

A CILEX member running an unregulated business conducted litigation in breach of the Legal Services Act 2007 when she acted on a possession claim, the High Court has ruled.

A solicitor who kept £60,000 of client funds in cash in the firm’s safe has been banned indefinitely from managing law firms.

A review of legal services in New Zealand has recommended the introduction of alternative business structures and an independent regulator.

A solicitor who lost £230,000 of a client’s money by moving it into her personal bank account and then investing in a scheme which turned out to be a scam has been struck off.

Nearly four in five Bar students still regard their courses as unaffordable despite an average drop of £4,700 in fees, research for the Bar Standards Board has found.

An explicit requirement on licensed conveyancers to treat customers fairly has been adopted by their regulator as part of a revised set of ethical standards.

A solicitor sacked by national firm Blake Morgan during his probationary period “grossly abused his position” by duping two investors into handing over money on the basis he was still working there.

An experienced partner who secretly worked on the purchase of a property where his firm was acting for the seller has been fined £32,000 for a lack of integrity.

The first solicitor apprenticeship scheme has been launched which is specifically designed for paralegals part-way through qualifications with other legal bodies.

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has issued a rare majority decision over the misconduct of husband and wife solicitors in the employment of their son.