Compliance & Regulation
SRA issues £1.5m in fines since enhanced power came on stream
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has used the enhanced fining power to issue more than £1.5m fines on solicitors in its first two years, new figures have shown.
Blacker fails in challenge to Inner Temple’s membership refusal
Alan Blacker – the struck-off solicitor once dubbed by a judge as dressing “like something out of Harry Potter” – has failed in a challenge to a decision refusing him membership of the Bar.
Junior solicitor struck off for misleading probate clients
A recently qualified solicitor at Irwin Mitchell who misled multiple contentious probate clients about the progress of their cases has been struck off.
Male barrister disbarred again over harassing female pupils
A barrister who won a bid to have his disbarment for sexual harassing two pupils and a woman on a mini-pupillage reconsidered has been disbarred once again.
SRA ordered to pay solicitor £184k costs for “improper” prosecution
The SRA has been ordered to pay a solicitor costs of £184,000 over a prosecution the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal described as “improperly brought”.
£50k fine for lawyer over omissions when applying to join Bar
A high-profile Italian lawyer who failed to declare various adverse findings about himself when applying to be called to the English Bar has been reprimanded and fined £50,000.
SRA to quiz probate lawyers who “failed to reflect” on training
The SRA is to question probate solicitors who “simply listed” in their training records what they had done, rather than providing “evidence of reflection”.
Court upholds suspension of barrister in debt to ex-law firm partner
The High Court has upheld a six-month suspension imposed on a barrister who failed to comply with a court order to pay £54,600 to a former salaried partner in his law firm.
Partners struck off for misleading HM Land Registry
Two experienced partners who submitted paperwork to HM Land Registry with fake names to conceal the true owners of properties have been struck off.
Post Office investigations to push up costs of barrister regulation
The cost of practising as a barrister is set to rise by 8.5%, in part to finance continuing investigations into counsel involved in the Post Office scandal.
SFO charges two Axiom Ince partners and three senior executives
Axiom Ince chief executive Pragnesh Modhwadia and fellow solicitor Shyam Mistry, along with three senior staff, were charged today by the Serious Fraud Office.
Zahawi solicitor fined £50,000 for trying to stop email’s publication
The solicitor accused of trying to improperly restrict publication of an email he sent to a high-profile lawyer over the affairs of former Conservative MP Nadeem Zahawi, has been fined £50,000.
SRA opens dozens of investigations into volume litigation firms
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has opened dozens of investigations into law firms in relation to their conduct of volume litigation. Between them, they handle more than 150,000 claims.
SRA puts restrictions on another ex-Axiom Ince employee
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has banned a third former employee of Axiom Ince from working in the profession in future without its permission due to “serious” misconduct.
CJEU: Member states can block external investment in law firms
EU states may prohibit external investment in law firms because of the need to protect lawyers’ independence, the Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled.
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.
