Compliance & Regulation
Harman tells judges: You have a “clear” bullying problem
Judges have failed to acknowledge the “clear” problem of bullying and harassment among some on the bench, Baroness Harriet Harman told the Bar Council conference on Saturday.
Leading legal academics call for “overriding ethical duty”
The LSB should introduce an “overriding” ethical duty for lawyers, much like the overriding objective in civil procedure, the UCL Centre for Ethics and Law has argued.
Court issues stark warning to lawyers over AI-generated fake cases
The president of the King’s Bench Division today issued a stark warning to lawyers about the serious consequences they will face for misusing AI before the courts.
“Manifestly incompetent” solicitor suspended over running of firm
A sole practitioner who was dismissed as a consultant after selling their firm has been suspended for three months by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
Ex-Linklaters employee banned for “serious sexual misconduct”
A former employee of Linklaters has been made subject to controls on his future employment in the profession over “serious sexual misconduct” targeted at a junior colleague.
Investigation raises doubts about rigour of Law Society’s CQS
Seven in 10 law firms fined for anti-money laundering breaches in recent months have Conveyancing Quality Scheme accreditation, raising serious questions about how it is checked and enforced.
Court protects solicitor deputies asked to pay off drug debt
The High Court has ordered two solicitors acting as deputies for a man in his 20s not to pay off a £17,000 debt he owes drug dealers.
APIL urges regulators to act over “scattergun” dishonesty claims
Abuse of the fundamental dishonesty rules by some defendants in personal injury cases is likely to escalate if regulators do not address the issue, according to APIL.
Law firm slapped with £80,000 fine for AML breaches
A London law firm has been fined nearly £80,000 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority for failures to comply with the anti-money laundering rules, one of the largest to date.
Still no timeline for ABSs in Scotland despite new law
The Law Society of Scotland has declined to confirm when it will introduce alternative business structures now that all ownership restrictions on them have been removed.
No “generalised” ethical failure among solicitors, insists Law Society
High-profile scandals like the Post Office are “not indicative of a generalised failure of ethical standards within the profession”, the Law Society has insisted.
CJC calls for “urgent” government review of SSB-style funding
The government needs to urgently investigate the type of litigation funding used by collapsed law firms like SSB Law and Pure Legal, the Civil Justice Council said yesterday.
City partner “erroneously” paid out £2.2m to developer client
A partner at DWF has been fined £14,000 for wrongly approving £2.2m in payments to a developer which later went bust, leaving the firm to recompense out-of-pocket buyers.
Solicitor who worked for three firms at same time struck off
A locum solicitor whose timesheets claimed for the same time from two different firms – while employed full-time at a third – has been struck off.
Law firms “must tell clients how to complain at end of cases”
Law firms must tell their clients how to complain at the end, as well as the beginning, of their cases, under new rules proposed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Blog
What LeO’s data tells us about client service in personal injury
With court backlogs, insurer delays and increasingly complex cases, maintaining client care in personal injury work can be difficult, but the data suggests the industry is falling short.
Your landlord clients have prepared for the wrong law
Lawyers advising major landlords and build-to-rent operators have spent the better part of a year on the Renters’ Rights Act. A good deal of that advice has been aimed at the wrong risk.
Your website is losing clients before they even pick up the phone
Your website visitor is likely already carrying stress before they arrive. If your site adds to it rather than relieves it, you have likely lost a prospective client.
Reports
Associates
