Compliance & Regulation

The Council for Licensed Conveyancers has warned of the risk of “regulatory blind spots” after a review of referral fees revealed shortcomings in firms documenting arrangements.

The SRA is going ahead with rule changes to separate law firm managers who can “unilaterally” make decisions from compliance officer roles in all but the smallest firms.

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has reprimanded a duty solicitor for backdating documents – but ordered the SRA to pay him costs after he was cleared of dishonesty.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to appeal the decision to give only a suspended suspension to a law firm owner who bullied and harassed five junior members of staff.

There are good levels of job satisfaction across the conveyancing and probate communities regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers – but workloads are high. 

A solicitor who fabricated and backdated a disclosure letter to make it appear that he had complied with a court deadline has been struck off.

A senior male lawyer made unwanted and inappropriate remarks and advances to five junior female staff at a work event and post-event drinks, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has found.

Calls to reform the Legal Services Act 2007 overlook the many unused provisions in it that could facilitate major changes in regulation, the chief executive of the Legal Services Board has said.

The plans to transform the Solicitors Regulation Authority are promising but need to be seen through “at pace”, the new chief executive of the Legal Services Board has told Legal Futures.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to publish guidance on the implications on the Mazur ruling very shortly, it has told MPs.

A solicitor who admitted misleading his indemnity insurer about being the sole signatory on client account and practised without insurance for several months, has been suspended.

A junior solicitor who used AI to draft two misleading emails to the High Court “seems to have almost entirely outsourced the thinking process”, the judge has said.

A law firm owner who sent antisemitic messages on social media was attention seeking, rather than antisemitic, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has decided.

A law firm owner who bullied and harassed five junior female colleagues, including taking one to his flat after a Christmas party and asking her for a kiss, has been handed a suspended suspension.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has been ordered make an interim costs payment of £200,000 to global law firm Dentons – but the Court of Appeal questioned the overall costs claimed.