Compliance & Regulation
Rebuke for solicitor “who relied on memory, not records”
A law firm owner who acted “based on her recollections as opposed to checking facts” has been rebuked after letting administration of an estate drift for six years.
Consumer panel admits error but row with CLC goes on
The Legal Services Consumer Panel has accepted part of the criticism made by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers of a recent report – but not gone as far as demanded.
SRA and Law Society to collect £224m from solicitors
The Law Society and SRA are set to collect a total of £224m in fees from solicitors for the next practising year, £50m more than the current year.
Strike-off for solicitor who exploited vulnerable investors
A solicitor who “exploited and misled” the Zimbabwean women she claimed to be empowering has been struck off.
APIL calls for flexibility on ethics discussions
The SRA should not impose an “overly burdensome and arbitrary” annual requirement on law firms to hold three-hour ethics discussions for their solicitors, says APIL.
Suspension for solicitor who let work as deputy drift for 16 years
A solicitor who acted as a deputy for 16 years and did little to protect her client’s interests in that time has been suspended from practice for six months.
SDT clears conveyancer of taking instructions from client’s son
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has cleared a conveyancer of taking instructions from a client’s son and of manifest incompetence in a property transaction.
SRA warns over “emerging” money laundering risks for law firms
Acting for cash-intensive high street businesses and relying on existing due diligence are “emerging” risks in the fight against money laundering, the SRA has warned.
Strike-off for conveyancer who repeatedly lied to client
A veteran solicitor who repeatedly lied to a client, giving her false assurances over a period of two years about the registration of her property, has been struck off.
Male solicitor struck off for explicit messages to female barrister
A veteran male solicitor who sent a stream of “sexually charged” messages to a female barrister his firm was instructing, even after she told him to stop, has been struck off.
New model complaints procedure “does not guarantee compliance”
The Legal Ombudsman has warned lawyers that using its new model complaints resolution procedure is not “a proxy” for regulatory compliance.
In-house lawyers should “train PR staff on risks of greenwashing”
In-house lawyers should train their company’s marketing and communications teams on the risks of ‘greenwashing’, the Law Society has advised in new guidance.
In-house solicitor struck off for sexually assaulting colleague
A veteran solicitor who continues to dispute his conviction for sexual assault has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
ICO raids mark latest stage in motor finance claims crackdown
The ICO has executed search warrants across the UK as part of investigations into companies sending millions of text messages about motor finance claims.
Solicitor rebuked for continuing to act when clients were in dispute
A solicitor who continued to act for both executors of an estate after a dispute arose between them has been rebuked by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Blog
Don’t be fooled by the civil court statistics
The latest civil justice figures look deceptively upbeat, with faster claims. But these numbers mask a deeper truth: people are still waiting more than a year for justice.
SEO is changing: Are you measuring the right things?
AI means firms may see falling organic traffic and wonder if SEO is still working. The more interesting question is whether traffic is still the right measure of success.
Forms are evolving – and more interesting than you might think
I have spent much of my working life thinking about something most people would probably prefer not to think about at all: legal forms.
Reports
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