Compliance & Regulation
SRA will take “sympathetic” approach to pre-Mazur breaches
The SRA will respond “sympathetically” to self-reports from those who may have been operating incorrectly under the terms of the Mazur ruling.
Conditions removed from work of solicitor suspended over drugs
A City solicitor suspended for a year after a second police caution for possessing cocaine has had conditions on his return to practice removed.
Solicitor fined for failing to spot money laundering red flags
A solicitor who failed to spot red flags for potential fraud/money laundering while acting on two loans worth £464,000 has been fined £15,000.
Barrister disbarred for sexual harassment was in “position of power”
A senior male barrister who sexually harassed a female junior shortly out of pupillage “must have appreciated that he was in a position of power and importance” to her.
Solicitor jailed for using drug money to pay mortgage struck off
A solicitor jailed for 26 months last year for using drug money generated by his twin brother to pay a mortgage has been struck off.
Mazur appeal lawyer sets out Court of Appeal battleground
The Court of Appeal hearing the Mazur case will have to decide between statutory interpretation and “the contextual argument”, the solicitor bringing the appeal said last week.
SRA hands out £550k in AML fines in three months
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has levied fines totalling £550,000 in the past three months on law firms that breached basic anti-money laundering rules.
Highest-earning barristers set to pay more to practise
The Bar Council and Bar Standards Board are looking to increase the cost of practising for barristers by 4% in the coming year, with a new band for those earning £2m.
Reports to BSB about barrister conduct jump by 24%
There has been a 24% spike in reports about barristers to their regulator this year, according to new figures from the Bar Standards Board.
LSB sets out new approach to improving equality and diversity
Safeguarding the wellbeing of those facing enforcement action should be part of legal regulators’ duty to support equality and diversity, the Legal Services Board said yesterday.
Consolidation laid bare as number of law firms falls below 9,000
The number of law firms in England and Wales has dipped below 9,000 for the first time in recent memory after dropping by nearly 2,000 over the past 15 years.
Law Society calls for urgent SRA advice on impact of Mazur on AI
The SRA needs to provide urgent advice on how artificial intelligence can be used in litigation in compliance with the Mazur ruling, the Law Society has said.
Court of Appeal agrees to hear “important” Mazur appeal
The Court of Appeal has granted CILEX permission to appeal against the Mazur judgment, saying it “raises an important point of practice”.
LSCP: “Regulatory failure” behind Mazur demands systemic review
The “chaos” caused by the Mazur ruling demands “a courageous, full-scale review of the regulatory framework” in response, the chair of the Legal Services Consumer Panel has argued.
Solicitor struck off 16 years ago fails in bid to return to roll
A solicitor struck off 16 years ago for multiple breaches of the accounts rules, several of them dishonest, has failed in his bid to return to the roll.
Blog
When AI becomes a line on the client’s bill
On 23 June, Legora changed how it charges. The platform announced that its most capable product was moving away from a flat per-seat licence fee to consumption-based pricing
Which legal AI will still matter in 12 months?
Four years ago, when senior partners asked me which legal AI they should buy, I would have walked them through a vendor comparison. Now I tell them the question is wrong.
Supreme Court redraws line between member and employee in LLPs
For anyone advising professional services firms on LLP structuring, and of course for those in LLPs themselves, last week’s Supreme Court ruling is an essential read.
