Compliance & Regulation
From offensive emails to misusing client money – solicitor struck off
A solicitor whose misconduct “spiralled” from maladministration to using client money to pay personal expenses, and included calling a client a “spastick”, has been struck off.
SRA approves transfer of law firm owned by AIM-listed company
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has approved new owners for an alternative business structure set up by an AIM-listed personal pension provider.
Legal regulators and representatives join government SLAPPs taskforce
Legal regulators and representative bodies were yesterday named as members of a new government taskforce aiming to clamp down on SLAPPs.
“Catalogue of mistakes” – STEP makes case for will-writing regulation
Nearly half of consumers who have a will either wrote their own or obtained it through a cheap online service, with hardly any checking the credentials of the provider.
Government set to resist calls for ban on NDAs in the workplace
The government indicated this week that it would resist calls for a statutory ban on non-disclosure agreements in the workplace, having been told that lawyers “are part of the problem”.
Solicitor who “failed to disclose existence of clients” struck off
A solicitor who told clients to pay fees into his personal bank account, in some cases for work that was never done, has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
Law Society and SRA win approval for 11.5% jump in cost of practising
Individual solicitors and their firms will be paying an extra £13.2m to be regulated and represented in the coming year, the Legal Services Board has confirmed.
SRA issues hefty fine for solicitor who ignored conflict between clients
A solicitor who acted for both sides in the transfer of five properties for nil value has been hit with a £12,000 fine by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Partner who lied to clinical negligence victim’s mother struck off
A partner lied to the litigation friend and mother of a medical negligence victim, telling her repeatedly over two and a half years that a pre-action protocol letter had been sent when it had not.
Solicitor to face tribunal over “threatening” Covid letters to GPs
A solicitor is set to face a disciplinary tribunal for aggressively threatening GPs with legal action if the doctor did not provide a Covid vaccination exemption for their client.
Law firm culture key to ethical practice, says Law Society president
Law firm cultures where solicitors are able to admit and learn from mistakes are central to ensuring adherence to professional ethics, the president of the Law Society said yesterday.
Law firm fined for dealing with CMC and not its clients
A personal injury firm which did not deal directly with clients referred by a claims management company over six years has been fined by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Law firm’s PII covers claim to return £7.5m fee, Court of Appeal rules
A claim seeking the return of a £7.5m success fee earned by a law firm for its role in a giant transaction is covered by its professional indemnity insurance, the Court of Appeal has ruled.
Bar Council to meet Can’t Buy My Silence over NDAs
The Bar Council is to meet non-disclosure agreement pressure group Can’t Buy My Silence in the wake of its criticism of the barrister body’s stance.
Four in ten crime solicitor-advocates “lack proper learning plans”
Nearly half of criminal law solicitors-advocates lack proper learning and development plans, research by the Solicitors Regulation Authority has indicated.
Blog
Legal director: an alternative to partnership
Firms are increasingly acknowledging the need for alternative senior roles – positions that offer influence and recognition without the obligations of ownership.
It’s time for law firms to ask tougher questions
For years, many law firms have treated ID verification as a box-ticking exercise. Run a liveness check, match a face to a document and move on. But that is no longer good enough.
Business fatigue to AI will risk job security
Whilst we know professional learning has always been part of career paths, to hire, retain and keep talent, AI needs to be embedded as a core part of this training.
