Compliance & Regulation
More consumers than ever choosing unbundled services
The proportion of consumers choosing unbundled legal services has hit its highest ever rate at just over a fifth, according to research for the Legal Services Consumer Panel.
LeO names firms “in public interest” as it publishes first full decisions
The Legal Ombudsman has published three of its final decisions in full for the first time, including the names of the firms involved, arguing that the move increases transparency.
Infected blood inquiry urges SRA to crack down on ‘no win, no fee’ offers
The head of the infected blood inquiry yesterday called on the SRA to tell solicitors that they should not be charging clients making a claim for compensation.
Paralegal rebuked for £1.85m payment error
A senior paralegal has been rebuked for wrongly requesting the release of at least £1.85m to a property developer which later went bust, leaving his law firm to repay buyers.
High-profile non-lawyer firm owner disqualified by SRA
The man who founded now-defunct Stobart Barristers and then bought two well-known criminal law firms has been disqualified from running a law firm in future.
Engine of change – Philip’s new role as he heads to SRA exit
The outgoing chief executive of the Solicitors Regulation Authority has lined up his first non-executive role by joining the board of the Institute of the Motor Industry.
NDAs to cover up harassment and discrimination “will be void”
The government is to ban non-disclosure agreements covering harassment and discrimination unless the victim themselves asks for one.
Young barrister reprimanded for throwing bottle in bar
A barrister has been reprimanded following her conviction for throwing a bottle at another woman in a Nottingham cocktail bar.
Solicitor tried to stop counterpart reporting breach of undertaking
A solicitor who breached an undertaking and then tried to stop his opposite number reporting him to the Solicitors Regulation Authority has been struck off.
Solicitor acting for Hamas ditches “traditional law firm model”
Riverway Law, the law firm representing terror group Hamas, has closed down in its current form and is set to reappear as the legal arm of a movement called Riverway to the Sea.
BSB lays out reforms to speed up disciplinary cases
Major changes to the way in which barristers are disciplined – enabling cases to move faster through the process – have been laid out by the Bar Standards Board.
Barrister filmed drinking brandy in car during trial lunch break
A high-profile criminal barrister filmed drinking brandy while sitting in his car during a break in a case has been fined £3,000 by a disciplinary tribunal.
Caseworker fails again to overturn SRA ban
The SDT has rejected the latest attempt by an immigration caseworker to overturn an order imposed by the SRA controlling his work in the profession.
Gender and ethnicity pay gap among barristers widens
The gender and ethnicity pay gaps at the Bar remains substantial and have actually widened a little over the past three years, according to Bar Standards Board research.
LSB chief executive steps down after less than year in post
The Legal Services Board is to be without a permanent chief executive as well as chair after announcing yesterday that Craig Westwood is to leave the oversight regulator.
Blog
It’s time for law firms to ask tougher questions
For years, many law firms have treated ID verification as a box-ticking exercise. Run a liveness check, match a face to a document and move on. But that is no longer good enough.
Business fatigue to AI will risk job security
Whilst we know professional learning has always been part of career paths, to hire, retain and keep talent, AI needs to be embedded as a core part of this training.
On good authority? GenAI and the reputational risks to law firms
As GenAI’s influence grows, so do the risks which are already playing out in courtrooms across England and Wales, where some early adopters are setting precedents they would rather not.
