Compliance & Regulation
First diversity profile of in-house solicitors puts public sector to fore
The public sector is home to a more diverse group of in-house solicitors than the private sector, Solicitors Regulation Authority data has shown.
Ex-Dentons lawyer barred after groping colleague at work social
A Scottish solicitor who groped a colleague while working in the City at Dentons has had controls placed on his future employment in the sector.
Legal Services Board begins hunt for new chief executive
The Legal Services Board is on the hunt for a new chief executive after Matthew Hill announced that he would be stepping down at the end of March 2024.
Tribunal rejects evidence that ‘Nazi salute’ barrister goose-stepped too
The barrister who gave a Nazi salute to magistrates during proceedings did not also goose-step or say “Sieg Heil”, despite evidence suggesting he did, a tribunal has found.
Legal practice course pass rate fell as SQE was introduced
The pass rate for legal practice course students fell to below 50% in the first year of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam, new figures have shown.
Drink-drive solicitor handed unusually high £10,000 fine
The SRA has handed out a £10,000 fine – reduced from £16,000 due to co-operation – to a solicitor convicted of drink driving, an unusually high figure for the offence.
Tribunal slaps Clyde & Co with £500k fine for AML failures
Leading City firm Clyde & Co has been fined £500,000 by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal – equalling the highest amount ever – for money laundering offences.
SRA issues first fixed penalty fine for compliance officer rule breach
A law firm in the North-East has become the first to receive a fixed penalty fine for not updating the Solicitors Regulation Authority on information about a compliance officer.
CILEX: Members, consumers and employers back SRA switch
CILEX has reported strong support from members, employers and consumers for its plans to change regulator to the SRA and introduce new professional titles.
Legal Ombudsman urged to publish findings in full
The Legal Services Consumer Panel has put pressure on the Legal Ombudsman to move more quickly towards publishing its decisions in full.
Chambers “should not have to merge for regulatory reasons”
The new chair of the Bar Council has pushed back at the idea floated by the Bar Standards Board that chambers could merge to make regulatory compliance easier.
Solicitor who breached undertakings agrees to leave profession
A solicitor whose failure to comply with multiple undertaking he gave caused significant losses for investors in two property developments, has agreed to leave the profession.
SRA: No plans to act yet on Post Office scandal lawyers
The Solicitors Regulation Authority could take action against solicitors over misconduct in the Post Office scandal before the public inquiry ends but has yet to see evidence that requires it.
SRA forced to hire more staff to handle Axiom Ince claims
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is having to employ seven extra staff at a cost to the profession of £310,000 to help it cope with the number of compensation claims from clients of Axiom Ince.
£10k fine for employed solicitor who held herself out as sole practitioner
A solicitor at a City law firm who held herself out as a sole practitioner while helping a person bring county court proceedings has been fined £10,000.
Blog
Listening, learning and leading The Solicitor’s Charity with care
As I prepare to hand over the mantle of chair of The Solicitor’s Charity next month, it doesn’t feel like an end. Instead, it feels like a wonderful journey.
Is competition in the legal sector stifling innovation?
As the legal sector’s competitive landscape continues to evolve, Nobel laureates remind us that innovation is not inevitable,and that competition may not always be an incentive to innovate.
What high-performing consumer claims firms get right
Recurring concerns about parts of the volume claims sector show that the gap between well-run firms and those struggling to manage volume effectively is widening.
