Compliance & Regulation
Paralegal rebuked for misleading client over Land Registry matter
A paralegal who misled a client about the progress of their matter as she sought to clear up a problem she inherited on a file has been rebuked by the SRA.
Law firm compliance officer fined for accounts rules failures
A solicitor who allowed his law firm to flout the accounts rules while a director and compliance officer has been fined by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
SRA: Convictions highlight Chinese ‘underground banking’ danger
The sentencing of seven people involved in a money laundering network via Chinese underground banking is a valuable reminder to solicitors of its risks, the SRA has said.
LSB puts SRA Compensation Fund fee increases on hold
Approval of the SRA’s application for the level of Compensation Fund contributions – which are set to soar this year – has been delayed for the first time ever, Legal Futures can report.
Fine for solicitor who acted on both sides of property deal
A partner who acted for both sides of a property transaction where there was a conflict of interest has been fined by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Tribunal criticises BSB for prosecuting “sleeping” barrister
A disciplinary tribunal has sharply criticised the Bar Standards Board for how it approached the prosecution of a barrister who struggled to stay awake during an inquest.
Police seek struck-off ‘dine and dash’ solicitor for skipping bail
Police want to speak to a solicitor struck off earlier this year over convictions for two ‘dine and dash’ incidents after she failed to answer bail over more allegations.
SRA closes down four law firms in two days
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has closed down four law firms this week, two of which were both consumer claim practices in Liverpool.
Vexatious ex-solicitor cannot start litigating again, High Court says
The High Court has refused to allow a struck-off solicitor to reopen vexatious litigation against the Law Society, Bar Council, senior judges, lawyers and many others.
Law firms “cheating” clients out of interest on their money
Law firms are could have made as much as £1.3bn in interest on client money in 2022/23, it has been claimed amid scrutiny of what they pass on to clients.
Solicitor struck off after clients paid fees into personal bank account
A solicitor who asked clients at two different firms to pay fees into his personal bank account because he was in financial difficulties has been struck off.
EDI initiatives not “shifting the law’s systemic inequalities”
There are multiple factors behind the failure of equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives to “shift the systemic inequalities that are entrenched” across the legal profession.
Proportion of women “ultimately decreases” in journey to judiciary
The proportion of women lawyers “fluctuates but ultimately decreases” on the pipeline from qualifying to becoming judges, a report for the Legal Services Board has found.
Regulators “must warn lawyers against taking advantage of LiPs”
Legal regulators must warn lawyers that they will face action to stop them unethically taking advantage of vulnerable litigants, a charity has urged.
London office of top US firm to face tribunal over alleged AML failures
The London office of a leading US law firm is to face the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal over alleged failures of its anti-money laundering controls lasting several years.
Blog
Why law firms are getting AI supervision wrong
The profession’s response to AI supervision failures misunderstands the nature of LLM output – there needs to be for a shift in the culture.
Beyond the PII premium – rethinking risk
Professional indemnity insurance renewal is often treated as an annual pricing exercise. But it is also a chance to show how effectively you identify, manage and mitigate risk.
The AI governance gap in law firms and why it matters now
A third of law firms are already using AI tools with no formal policy in place to govern how AI gets used, what data goes into it, or who’s accountable when something goes wrong.
Reports
Associates
