Compliance & Regulation

Work has begun to create a consistent approach across all the legal regulators to sexual misconduct, racial harassment, bullying and other forms of “anti-inclusive misconduct”.

The joint head of a law firm’s prison law department has agreed to be struck off after making legal aid claims for prison visits which never took place.

Two innocent partners of a solicitor jailed for a multi-million-pound theft from their firm’s client account can rely on a limitation defence after being sued for the losses caused, the Court of Appeal has ruled.

A solicitor who forged documents for a £30,000 loan, secured against his matrimonial home during an “acrimonious” divorce, has been struck off, even though the events did not relate to his practice.

The current regulatory approach to lawyers’ ongoing competence needs to change, the Legal Services Board has concluded, with assessments such as spot checks likely to be part of the reform.

A solicitor who entered into a damages-based agreement with a family law client and pursued her for costs under it has been fined £10,000 by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.

Only 10% of students who successfully completed the Bar professional training course last year had started a pupillage by the end of March 2021, according to new figures.

Covid did not significantly reduce the number of dissatisfied clients contacting the Legal Ombudsman but it hit the organisation’s ability to deal with them, according to figures out today.

A partner and law firm failed to spot a restrictive covenant on a purchase and then did not tell its developer client, continuing instead to act for him when litigation over it ensued.

A law firm has been rebuked after a failure to perform proper due diligence on the identity of a client – for which it relied on a third party – led to a fraudulent property sale.

A public access barrister who engaged in “unnecessarily hostile and antagonistic correspondence” with opposing solicitors has been suspended for six months.

A law firm chief executive who lost his claim that he was fired for making protected disclosures has escaped a costs order even though a tribunal said it had no reasonable prospects of success.

There is near unanimity among the public that lawyers should have to demonstrate more actively than now that they remain competent throughout their careers, the Legal Services Board has found.

A family law practice started by two solicitors has divorced the Bar Standards Board as its regulator and taken up with the Solicitors Regulation Authority after difficulties beset the relationship.

The barrister suspended from the innovative family law business she founded after being accused of making racist comments about the latest Royal baby has returned to work.