Compliance & Regulation
Solicitor struck off after overcharging clients for stamp duty
A solicitor who overcharged a client for their stamp duty and paid the excess to an unknown third party has been struck off. He also lied to the SRA about his whereabouts to avoid answering its questions.
Tribunal fines solicitor convicted of dangerous driving
A solicitor who received a suspended prison sentence for dangerous driving after hitting a telegraph pole as well as multiple parked cars has been fined by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
Solicitor fails in discrimination claim against SRA
A solicitor trying to challenge disciplinary action taken against him by the Law Society 15 years ago has failed in a bid to have an employment tribunal intervene on the grounds of discrimination.
Solicitor sanctioned for ignoring anti-money laundering duties
A law firm owner who ignored anti-money laundering responsibilities – and even overrode a negative due diligence check – has been banned from holding compliance roles.
Junior solicitor fined for aiming offensive tweets at MPs
A junior solicitor who targeted MPs and a government advisor with “offensive, derogatory and inappropriate” tweets has been fined £2,000 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Legal regulators secure government cash for innovation projects
The Solicitors Regulation Authority and Costs Lawyer Standards Board have both won grants from the government’s Regulators Pioneer Fund to run projects encouraging innovation.
Trainee solicitor banned for lying about work done for colleague
A trainee solicitor who lied about the work he had done covering for a colleague who was on annual leave has been banned from working in the profession.
Chambers obtains final injunction after cyber-attack
A London chambers and its 87 members hit by a cyber-attack have secured a final injunction from the High Court to stop “persons unknown” using any information stolen.
NDAs “cannot be controlled by professional regulators”
The use of NDAs cannot be effectively controlled by professional regulators like the SRA and legislation is needed, a campaigner for tougher restrictions has told Legal Futures.
LSB demands regulators deliver “real change in outcomes for consumers”
The Legal Services Board has today demanded further action from regulators to deliver “real change in outcomes” as it publishes a draft statutory policy statement on empowering consumers.
Fraud, overbilling and more – SRA bans non-solicitors over misconduct
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has banned a string of non-solicitors from working in the profession, with issues like theft, overbilling and fabricating documents among the causes.
Male barrister suspended for groping female clerk and trainee solicitor
A male barrister who groped a female clerk from his chambers and a female trainee from his main instructing solicitors while on a Friday night out has been suspended for a year.
QC criticises “partisan” City law firm over advice given to RICS
A QC has heavily criticised City law firm Fieldfisher over the advice it gave the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) during a governance crisis.
£50k fine for partner at leading firm who “recreated” letters
An equity partner at a leading law firm who recreated documents he thought had been sent, but passed them off as copies of the originals, has been fined £50,000.
Jail for lawyer who defrauded employers of £600,000
A lawyer who defrauded the Commonwealth Secretariat and law firm Cooley out of over £600,000 has been jailed for seven and a half years.
Blog
AML in an era of unpredictable threats
One expectation as the FCA takes control of anti-money laundering oversight is a move towards more supervision rather than simply writing new rules.
AI and law firm risk – the view of professional indemnity insurers
In considering law firm applications for cover, many insurers will expect to see evidence of how firms are adapting to AI and preparing for the future.
Automation in personal injury claims: The evolving legal risks
As automation tools become more sophisticated, they are increasingly used for more complex tasks, such as interpreting evidence and informing case strategy, particular in the PI sector.
