Compliance & Regulation
Partner and law firm fined for breaching multiple undertakings
A partner and his law firm have each been fined after failing to deliver on 32 undertakings and confirmations within the agreed timescale – with six still outstanding five years after the transaction concluded.
AML crackdown needed on lawyers who enable kleptocrats
An overhaul of anti-money laundering legislation – including targeting professional enablers like lawyers – is needed if the UK is to create a “hostile environment for the world’s kleptocrats”.
Solicitor convicted of assaulting elderly mother suspended indefinitely
A solicitor found guilty of assaulting his elderly mother with a pan has been indefinitely suspended to allow him the chance to address his problems with alcohol.
LSB paves way for “remedial action” to ensure lawyers’ competence
Regulators of legal services must develop plans for “remedial action to address competence issues” among lawyers, according to a draft policy statement published today by the Legal Services Board.
Oversight regulator to put cost of PII under the microscope
The Legal Services Board is to launch a review of professional indemnity insurance to ensure “the right balance is struck” between protecting consumers and the cost of that protection.
Solicitor avoids strike-off despite lying to SRA and insurer
A solicitor who lied to both his regulator and insurer about improper withdrawals from client account of almost £670,000 by a conveyancer he employed has been suspended and not struck off.
Solicitor struck off after cutting out partners from running of firm
A solicitor who misused client money after excluding his accountants from his firm’s financial processes and cutting out his salaried partners too has been struck off.
Trainee successfully appeals rebuke over “inappropriate” Christmas card
A male trainee solicitor at Dentons has successfully appealed a rebuke from the SRA over a sexually suggestive Christmas card he left on the desk of a female colleague.
“Diligent and caring solicitor” was not dishonest over medical reports
A personal injury lawyer who the SRA accepted was a “diligent and caring solicitor” but was under “significant pressure” from his employer has been cleared of dishonesty by a tribunal.
Barristers’ conduct outside of work under increasing scrutiny
The number of reports about barristers’ conduct outside their professional lives continues to rise, the BSB has revealed. It also highlighted problems with victims of bullying not being treated with dignity.
Solicitor used prisoner’s inheritance to pay off overdraft
A solicitor who used money inherited by a jailed client to pay off his law firm’s overdraft has been struck off, with an attempt to blame a former employee dismissed as “nonsensical”.
Law firm and lawyer fined over schemes that avoided £3m in SDLT
A North-West law firm and one of its partners have been fined for undertaking 113 conveyancing transactions over four years that avoided £3m in stamp duty land tax.
Solicitors “need to understand” the difference between SRA and Law Society
Solicitors need to understand better the different roles of the Law Society and Solicitors Regulation Authority, the chair of the SRA said this week.
Leading firms prepare to offer part-time working to all trainees
Two large law firms – Osborne Clarke and Eversheds Sutherland – have said that they will offer all their trainees the opportunity to work part-time from September 2024.
Strike-off for solicitor who misled clients over progress of claims
A personal injury lawyer who failed to tell six clients that their claims had been struck out, instead misleading them into thinking they were active, has 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.
