Compliance & Regulation
Law firm fines should be a minimum of £5k, says SRA
The SRA has proposed that any fine it imposes on law firms should be at least £5,000, as well as ending fines for solicitors convicted of drink-driving.
Five-year suspension for solicitor – for practising while suspended
A veteran solicitor who practised while suspended has been suspended again, although the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal said it had “some reservations” about the sanction.
SRA “has not justified” huge compensation fund levy rises
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has not done enough to justify the huge increases in compensation fund contributions for the coming year, the Law Society has argued.
SRA: Law firms continuing to hold client money “not inevitable”
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has dropped its biggest hint so far that it could initially restrict and ultimately end solicitors holding client money.
Regulators’ efforts to improve standards in coroners’ courts stalling
A cross-regulator effort to improve the standard of practice in coroners’ courts has had limited effect, the first evaluation of the initiative has found.
Firms face new rule to publish price information for all services
Law firms regulated by CILEx Regulation could become the first – but not the last – required to publish price and service information for all the legal services they provide.
£10k fine for solicitor who amended transfer without client consent
A solicitor who amended and lodged a property transfer without her client’s knowledge or consent has been fined £10,000 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
SRA fails in appeal over solicitor cleared of AML breaches
The High Court has upheld a ruling by the SDT that a solicitor’s errors in conducting due diligence for anti-money laundering purposes did not amount to professional misconduct.
Scottish solicitors to vote on ditching support for ABSs
Solicitors in Scotland will tomorrow vote on whether to oppose government plans to push ahead with alternative business structures.
Conveyancer backdated deed he had forgotten to draft
A vastly experienced conveyancer who backdated a deed of easement he had forgotten to prepare as part of a transaction has been barred from working in the profession.
Let us lead on equality, Bar Council chair tells BSB
The chairman of the Bar Council has urged the Bar Standards Board to let it lead work on improving equality, diversity and inclusion in the profession.
SRA’s client money warning: partners need to replace money at once
Law firm partners have been told that they must dip into their own pockets to replace any shortages on client accounts immediately upon discovery.
Exclusive: SSB clients “uncertain” about insurer’s assignment offer
Former clients of the collapsed SSB Group are “confused and uncertain” about an insurer’s offer to stop pursuing them for costs if they assign their claims against the law firm.
Dentons’ breach of AML rules was “inadvertent”
A breach of the anti-money laundering rules by Dentons, the world’s largest law firm, was “inadvertent” and did not amount to professional misconduct, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has ruled.
Employee diverted client’s stamp duty refund to herself
A law firm employee who diverted a client’s stamp duty refund to herself – via an unwitting friend’s bank account – has been barred from the profession.
Blog
Litigation finance is not one product. It’s a strategy
Across the consumer claims market, litigation finance has developed into a broader set of funding options that can support different stages of a case.
The best legal AI doesn’t replace rules-based engines – it completes them
There is a belief circulating in legal tech that AI can solve everything – that LLMs are universally superior to what came before. It is not always true, however.
Small steps, big impact: how SME law firms are making legal tech work
For SME law firms, the priority is turning the potential of tech into measurable impact: success is driven not just by the technology, but by how firms approach planning and implementation.
