Compliance & Regulation
In-house solicitor fined for offensive nicknames and emails
A senior in-house solicitor who coined offensive nicknames for colleagues and sent sweary emails has been fined £15,000 by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
Legal threat to US firm in London over “u-turn on helping trans man”
The Good Law Project is threatening US law firm Morrison Foerster with legal action over its London office “reneging” on an agreement to represent a trans man.
SRA used “prejudicial hearsay evidence” in failed prosecution
The SRA relied on complaints by anonymous people and “a significant amount of prejudicial hearsay evidence” to support a failed prosecution against two high-profile solicitors.
City giant fined £465k for sanctions breach by Russian arm
The Russian arm of top City firm Herbert Smith Freehills has been fined £465,000 for breaching UK financial sanctions imposed on Russia.
Sidhu disbarred and attacked for “abusing power to perpetrate abuse”
The case of Jo Sidhu KC – who was disbarred yesterday – “exposes the failure of the current systems to effectively prevent sexual misconduct at the Bar”, Harriet Harman KC said yesterday.
Beringer: No rules force law firms to take on questionable clients
There are no rules that require law firms to take on clients outside of criminal work and so they need to be willing to justify their choices publicly, the former senior partner of Allen & Overy said this week.
Anti-corruption champion calls for offence targeting lawyer enablers
The Prime Minister’s anti-corruption champion last night called for a new criminal offence that would see lawyers prosecuted for failing to prevent money laundering and economic crime.
City solicitor suspended from practice for stalking conviction
A City solicitor found guilty of a low-level offence of stalking his ex-girlfriend has been suspended from the profession for six months.
Complaining to the SRA? Don’t expect a quick reply
Members of the public and firms reporting concerns to the SRA will have to wait up to two months for a response, twice the time it was at the start of the year.
Partner who fabricated documents he gave to SRA struck off
A law firm partner has been struck off for fabricating documents to mislead the SRA about his role in mismanaging a client’s personal injury trust.
Solicitor who misled firm about client loans fails in strike-off appeal
A solicitor struck off for multiple rule breaches, including that he actively concealed from his employer the fact that he had taken loans from clients, has failed in his appeal.
Tribunal sends message over sexual harassment at the Bar
Sexual harassment at the Bar that “might have been tolerated and even expected in the past is no longer acceptable”, a disciplinary tribunal has said – but “regrettably, such behaviour is still widespread”.
Accountants set to start administering oaths
Chartered accountants are finally to get the right to conduct the reserved legal activity of administering oaths, six years after their regulator gained the power to grant it.
Reynolds corrects official record over calling himself a solicitor
Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds has officially corrected the House of Commons record for describing himself as a solicitor, amid continuing jabs from the Conservatives.
London office of top US firm fined £300k for AML failures
A leading US law firm has been fined £300,000 for failing to have anti-money laundering risk assessments and procedures in place in its London office.
Blog
Small steps, big impact: how SME law firms are making legal tech work
For SME law firms, the priority is turning the potential of tech into measurable impact: success is driven not just by the technology, but by how firms approach planning and implementation.
Why housing disrepair claims against councils have leapt by nearly 400%
Housing disrepair claims against councils have surged dramatically in recent years, with some areas reporting increases approaching a staggering 400%.
Client accounts: Opportunity, obligation and the risks in between
The profitability gap between well-run firms and the rest is not primarily a function of size, location or practice area – it is a function of financial management.
