Compliance & Regulation
Solicitor struck off over falsified decree absolute
A solicitor who led a client to believe he was divorced after she falsified a decree absolute has been struck off. She also admitted having the client pay her in cash, rather than pay her firm.
Barrister suspended after appearing in court when unauthorised – again
An experienced barrister who appeared in two courts without having a practising certificate has been suspended for four months, having been fined twice in previous years for the same offence.
Service provider hack sees 100GB of data stolen from top law firm
Global law firm Jones Day has reportedly had 100 gigabytes of data stolen, with some of it appearing on the dark web, after a third party that provides it with file transfer software was hacked.
Solicitor fell in love with architect of translation fraud
A solicitor who described how she fell in love with the architect of a translation fee fraud – who used her to facilitate it – has accepted that she had to be struck off.
CLC highlights compliance risks facing licensed conveyancers
Money laundering, buyer-funded developments, and acting for both sides are among the risks highlighted in the Council for Licensed Conveyancers’ first Compliance Risk Agenda.
Solicitor struck off for harassment convictions fails in appeal
A solicitor struck off after it emerged he had been convicted of harassing a woman in Norway nearly 20 years ago has failed in his challenge to the decision.
Solicitor lied to High Court in claim brought by former partner
A solicitor who lied to a High Court judge during the trial of a dispute with a former partner in his law firm has been struck off. The tribunal said the public would be “horrified” by his misconduct.
Rebuke for male solicitor handed caution for assaulting woman
A solicitor who received a caution for assault by beating a female family member has been rebuked by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. It accepted the conduct was “out of character”.
Solicitor who misled potential employer suspended indefinitely
A solicitor who twice misled a potential employer into believing he was still in a job – when in fact he had been sacked six months earlier – has been suspended indefinitely.
SRA: New areas of practice and legalised cannabis present AML risks
Firms getting into new areas of work because of the impact of Covid, along with handling funds generated through the legal sale of cannabis abroad, are among emerging money laundering risks.
Prospect of negative interest rates and law firm dilemma moves closer
The possibility of negative interest rates moved a step closer yesterday amid continuing uncertainty over whether law firms could pass on to clients the cost of holding their money.
Solicitor’s mismanagement combined with COFA’s incompetence
A solicitor whose “reckless mismanagement” of her law firm’s finances damaged the profession’s reputation has been struck off, and her COFA banned for “manifest incompetence”.
Conveyancer blamed secretary to “cover up lack of progress”
A solicitor who lied to a lender, a client, his law firm and the Land Registry to cover up the lack of progress made on his clients’ matters – but blamed his secretary – has been struck off.
AI can form part of anti-money laundering armoury, law firms told
New technologies such as biometrics, machine learning and artificial intelligence can now form part of the anti-money laundering armoury, law firms have been told.
Solicitor jailed for money laundering returns to profession
A solicitor who was jailed for four years for money laundering offences has been readmitted to the roll after the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal found he had been “totally rehabilitated”.
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.
