Compliance & Regulation
Accountants more than double size of ABS by buying law firm
A private equity-backed accountancy business has made good on its promise to grow its law firm through acquisition by buying a London practice more than twice its size.
Tribunal rejects dyslexia explanation for barrister’s misleading CV
The tribunal that disbarred a barrister who lied on his CV rejected his explanation that these were mistakes that arose from his dyslexia, it has emerged.
In-house solicitors pressured to misuse privilege
In-house solicitors have been pressured to misuse legal professional privilege as a way to suppress the proper disclosure of information, the SRA has said.
SRA “needs more fining powers” to tackle lawyers behind SLAPPs
The Solicitors Regulation Authority needs greater fining powers to sanction solicitors involved in SLAPPs, the House of Commons was told yesterday.
Barrister who breached suspension “not fit to be in the profession”
The High Court has upheld a decision to disbar a barrister who continued to hold himself out as one while suspended from practice.
Consumers willing to pay a little extra for law firms to use TPMAs
Consumers are more comfortable with the idea of their money being held in third-party managed accounts than solicitors’ client accounts, research has suggested.
SDT removes conditions on “redeemed” solicitor’s practice
A solicitor prevented from being a law firm owner, partner or compliance officer for the last seven years has successfully applied to have the conditions on her practising certificate removed.
LSB’s economic crime guidance may foster inconsistent approaches
Proposed new guidance on how the legal regulators should meet their new statutory duty to deal with economic crime could lead to inconsistencies of approach.
Lack of sanction for costs draftsman shows “hole in regulation”
A judge’s comments on the lack of recourse against an unregulated costs draftsman should focus minds on this hole in legal regulation, the Association of Costs Lawyers has argued.
Bar Council: BSB’s proposed equality rule change is unlawful
The new, proactive equality duty proposed by the Bar Standards Board could lead to litigation with barristers and is unlawful, the Bar Council said yesterday.
High Court upholds LeO’s decision to dismiss complaint
The Legal Ombudsman was right to dismiss a complaint it thought better suited to be determined in court, a judge has ruled.
Fine for solicitor who used client account as personal banking facility
A solicitor who used his firm’s client account as a personal banking facility did not need to admit that he had damaged public trust, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has held.
Mayson: Lawyers must prioritise public interest over clients
Lawyers seem to have forgotten that the public interest trumps the client interest and this needs to change, Professor Stephen Mayson has argued.
Barrister disbarred for making ‘fundamentally dishonest’ PI claim
A barrister who a court found had been fundamentally dishonest in making a personal injury claim has been disbarred.
SRA lays out major reforms to how solicitors hold client money
Major changes to the way law firms hold client money, including not retaining interest and restricting the collection of fees in advance, were proposed yesterday by the SRA.
Blog
Why brilliant lawyers sometimes fail
A question that often strikes a chord with partners in law firms is this: why is it that individuals who excel in one role sometimes struggle when promoted into another?
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.
Reports
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