Compliance & Regulation

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.

The High Court has referred a barrister to the Bar Standards Board for launching a judicial review which was “abusive and bound to fail” on behalf of a client facing extradition.

The SRA has issued the highest fine since the limit went up to £25,000 among 14 handed out in recent weeks for breaches of the anti-money laundering rules.

Law firms need to be careful in marketing their services as ‘no win, no fee’, and in how they attract clients, especially in high-volume claims work, the SRA told solicitors today.

A solicitor accused by MI5 of being an agent of the Chinese government has lost her challenge to the assessment. She said her law firm had suffered “irreparable reputational harm”.

A young lawyer who changed dates on lasting powers of attorney and misled clients about when they were sent to the Office of the Public Guardian has been struck off.

A council solicitor who amended a signed witness statement without express confirmation of the changes before submitting it to the High Court has been cleared of misconduct.

A male ex-partner at City giant Freshfields who groped a female associate after a team Christmas party has been suspended from practice for two years.

Law firms handling probate work could do more to guard against the risks of a conflict when administering estates and also acting as the executor, the SRA has cautioned.

Too many solicitors only check their professional obligations when things go wrong and are over-reliant on their firm’s COLP to keep on top of regulatory issues, according to SRA research.

A man who provided immigration advice and services without being regulated has been handed a suspended jail sentence.

The Bar Standards Board has proven itself “unfit for purpose”, Dr Charlotte Proudman said yesterday after a disciplinary tribunal ruled she had no case to answer over tweets she sent.

There has been a strong reaction to the suspended prison sentence for disgraced solicitor Phil Shiner, with the shadow Lord Chancellor saying “it is an insult to British veterans that he is not behind bars”.

An Essex law firm at the centre of a BBC investigation into possible abuse of LPAs has described it as “inaccurate” and “based on second or third-hand hearsay”.

The Bar Council has condemned former Criminal Bar Association chair Navjot ‘Jo’ Sidhu KC after a disciplinary tribunal found serious professional misconduct of a sexual nature.