Compliance & Regulation
Solicitor fined for inaccurate declaration over £1m Covid loan
A solicitor who signed an inaccurate declaration that triggered the release of a £1m Covid loan to a client, has been fined £15,000.
“Disruptive action” may be needed to improve diversity, LSB warns
Bullying and harassment is not limited to the Bar and “disruptive action” may be needed to create a “fair, healthy, diverse and inclusive legal profession”, the Legal Services Board has warned.
SRA urges voluntary disclosure of Russia sanction breaches
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has stressed the importance of voluntarily disclosing breaches of the Russia sanctions following the first fine handed out under the regime.
Partner suspended for telling junior solicitor to lie to client
A senior partner who told a newly qualified solicitor to lie in an email to a client has been suspended from practice for nine months.
ICO reprimands law firm after client data ends up on dark web
A law firm that was hacked and had sensitive client data published on the dark web has been reprimanded by the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Law firm rebuked for failing to comply with undertaking
A law firm that failed to comply with an undertaking it gave in a conveyancing transaction within a reasonable time has been rebuked by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Shiner’s guilty plea to trigger payments to law firm’s creditors
The liquidator of Public Interest Lawyers will shortly declare a dividend to creditors following the the guilty plea of its disgraced founder, Phil Shiner.
CMA targets seven unregulated wills and divorce providers
The CMA has written to seven unregulated providers of wills and online divorce services, warning them about “aggressive upselling, the refusal of refunds and failing to respond to complaints”.
Costs and staff numbers at Law Society Group on the rise
The size and cost of the Law Society Group – primarily made up of the Law Society representative body and the Solicitors Regulation Authority – continues to rise, its accounts have shown.
BSB calls in external law firm to help with cross-qualifying lawyers
The Bar Standards Board is set to bring in external solicitors to help clear the sizeable backlog of applications by foreign lawyers wanting to requalify at the Bar.
Rebuke for solicitor who held onto client money for 14 years
A solicitor who retained client money for 14 years without good reason has been rebuked by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Barrister disbarred over CV that lied about work in chambers
A barrister who lied about having practised from a well-known London set when in fact he had never even gone through pupillage has been disbarred.
Male barristers “not being held to account” for bullying women
The Bar Standards Board is “not holding perpetrator barristers accountable for harassment and bullying of women”, female barrister groups have argued.
Veteran solicitor and domestic abuse victim can return to roll
A veteran solicitor who was struck off in 2002 “against a background of traumatic domestic abuse” has been allowed to return to the roll to work in a pro bono law clinic.
Solicitor struck off for lying to partners about possible claim
A solicitor who admitted lying to his partners about reporting a possible claim to their professional indemnity insurers has been struck off.
Blog
A new era of legal operations
What we are seeing in the UK legal market is extraordinary change that will greatly influence how firms operate and compete for years to come.
Strong AML controls are meaningless with incomplete data
One expectation as the FCA takes control of anti-money laundering oversight is a move towards more supervision rather than simply writing new rules.
Navigating the legal AI productivity-profitability paradox
Firms are achieving efficiencies through AI, especially in the practice of law. Yet many are struggling to see that reflected in their financial outcomes
