Compliance & Regulation
Solicitor who abandoned firm suspended for 18 months
A personal injury solicitor who abandoned his firm whilst struggling with health issues and addiction – leaving it to be run by his office manager – has been suspended.
Solicitor used client money to keep within overdraft
A veteran solicitor who admitted billing clients for work he had not done to avoid his firm exceeding its overdraft has been struck off.
SRA urged to consider fee reductions for legal aid firms
The Solicitors Regulation Authority should consider reductions for legal aid firms if it goes ahead with plans for a 29%, or £25m, increase in its funding.
Rebuke for law firm that failed to perform undertaking for years
A South London law firm that failed to perform an undertaking given during a property transaction for nearly two and a half years has been rebuked by the SRA.
SRA unveils first two prosecutions from Post Office scandal
The first two solicitors to face the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) for misconduct linked to the Post Office scandal have been named.
Study highlights personal cost to in-house lawyers of saying ‘no’
In-house lawyers can pay a heavy price when saying ‘no’ to their employers, especially given the “sometimes horrifying level of toxicity” of corporate workplaces.
Law firm self-reports to SRA over failed private prosecution
A high-profile law firm has reported itself to the Solicitors Regulation Authority after the Chief Magistrate strongly criticised its role in a failed private prosecution.
Court of Appeal reinstates Legal Ombudsman finding against law firm
The Court of Appeal has reinstated a Legal Ombudsman decision that a law firm failed to adequately assess a client’s capacity and should pay her compensation.
Third of barristers face regular ethical challenges
A third of barristers face regular ethical issues and challenges in their practices but they benefit from “a solid system of training and support”, research has found.
BSB suspends ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan
The Bar Standards Board has suspended Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, two years after allegations were made against him.
Judge refers KC for contempt hearing over closing speech
The KC accused of not following court directions in his closing speech has been referred to a presiding judge to consider contempt proceedings.
Strike-off for solicitor who fabricated emails and blamed secretary
A solicitor who fabricated emails in a way that pinned the blame for a missed deadline on his secretary has been struck off.
“Partisan” solicitor gave woman’s contact details to ex-partner
A family solicitor who was “unnecessarily partisan” in acting for a father has been fined for trying to force the mother to reveal where she and her children lived.
Senior barrister disbarred for sexual comments to junior colleagues
The barrister head of Gloucestershire Police’s legal department has been disbarred after making inappropriate sexual comments to junior female colleagues.
SRA to require advance notice of law firm M&A deals
Law firms will have to notify the Solicitors Regulation Authority after signing heads of terms on a merger or acquisition, the regulator has proposed.
Blog
Don’t be fooled by the civil court statistics
The latest civil justice figures look deceptively upbeat, with faster claims. But these numbers mask a deeper truth: people are still waiting more than a year for justice.
SEO is changing: Are you measuring the right things?
AI means firms may see falling organic traffic and wonder if SEO is still working. The more interesting question is whether traffic is still the right measure of success.
Forms are evolving – and more interesting than you might think
I have spent much of my working life thinking about something most people would probably prefer not to think about at all: legal forms.
Reports
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