Compliance & Regulation
“Mmm, I like what I see” – solicitor made sexual comments to interviewee
A male law firm owner has been fined for saying “mmm, I like what I see” to a young woman applying for a paralegal position and telling her he only employed “beautiful women”.
Supreme Court upholds solicitors’ lien in ‘uncontested’ cases
A law firm handling uncontested flight delay claims did have an equitable lien over the compensation, the Supreme Court has ruled, overturning the Court of Appeal.
Barrister reprimanded and fined for mocking more junior opponent
A barrister who mocked opposing counsel in her submissions to an employment tribunal and sighed loudly while her opponent was speaking has been reprimanded and fined.
Partner fined for AML and banking facility failures
A partner in a London law firm has been fined £25,000 for allowing its client account to be used as a banking facility and failing to make adequate identity checks.
Union presses for formal recognition by LeO amid “escalating crisis”
The Legal Ombudsman is in crisis but “refusing to acknowledge serious and fundamental concerns” facing the organisation, the Public and Commercial Services union has warned.
SRA: “Lack of trust and visibility” in online self-help legal tools
There is a lack of trust and visibility of interactive self-help legal tools that are being developed to help access to justice, such as chatbots and online documents, the SRA has found.
Top criminal law firm fined £98,000 for cyber-security “negligence”
Leading criminal law firm Tuckers has been fined £98,000 by the Information Commissioner after a ransomware attack that encrypted nearly a million files exploited its “negligent security practices”.
Law firms should register deals affecting national security, says QC peer
The government said yesterday it would consider a barrister peer’s call for law firms to register their work on transactions that cover areas of national security.
“Reckless” solicitor suspended for misleading £2.9m costs bill
A solicitor who was “reckless” as to whether the court might be misled over a £2.9 costs bill has been suspended for 12 months by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
High Court rejects solicitor’s challenge to SRA intervention
Sophie Khan, the solicitor jailed for defying court orders to hand over files to the Solicitors Regulation Authority, has now lost her challenge to the regulator’s decision to close her firm.
SRA to start spot checks on firms’ Russia sanctions compliance
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to conduct spot checks on law firms to ensure they are complying with the sanctions imposed on Russian individuals, companies and ships.
Solicitor used residual balances to pay salaries and VAT bills
A solicitor who was a major figure in miners’ compensation claims has been fined for using £140,000 of residual balances in his client account to pay salaries and tax bills.
Rule will require solicitors to challenge colleagues’ improper behaviour
Solicitors will have a regulatory obligation to challenge colleagues who treat others unfairly or without respect as part of a plan to beef up the rules on health and wellbeing at work.
LeO boss: Efforts to close complaints more quickly starting to work
Efforts to close cases more quickly are having a positive impact on the performance of the Legal Ombudsman, with an influx of new recruits set to speed up progress.
Solicitor struck off for lying to avoid paying legal aid debt
A solicitor who lied about not having a bank account or any income other than benefits to avoid having to repay a debt to the Legal Aid Agency (Lhas been struck off.
Blog
Our vision for 2026: A shared approach to AML
We want to see law firms start taking AML compliance as seriously as it deserves. This means treating it not as a tick-box exercise or a procedural necessity, but as a serious part of company culture.
Why later-life divorce requires a distinct professional framework
Later-life divorce, often described as ‘silver splitter’ or ‘grey divorce’ cases, is no longer a marginal feature of family law practice. It challenges long-standing assumptions about how divorce work is done.
Listening, learning and leading The Solicitor’s Charity with care
As I prepare to hand over the mantle of chair of The Solicitor’s Charity next month, it doesn’t feel like an end. Instead, it feels like a wonderful journey.
