Compliance & Regulation
SDT grants anonymity to solicitor over drink-drive conviction
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has taken the unusual step of anonymising the identity of a solicitor appearing before it after a drink-driving conviction.
Reprimand for barrister who showed “contempt for legal process”
A barrister who made 10 meritless applications, including damages claims worth £4m against a council, and as a result was made subject to an extended civil restraint order, has been reprimanded.
BSB chief: We cannot stop review websites covering barristers
The Bar Standards Board has warned that it cannot stop the growing interest in featuring barristers on online review and comparison websites, even if the profession wants it to.
Partner rebuked for backdating documents used in divorce case
A solicitor who followed a client’s instructions to backdate a loan agreement and then did not disclose it as part of divorce proceedings has been rebuked for her “error of judgment”.
Axiom Ince stops taking new instructions as break-up looms
The end appears nigh for Axiom Ince, with the law firm admitting that it has stopped taking new instructions and will “likely be unable to continue in its current format”.
Partner lied to new firm about drink-driving convictions
A solicitor who lied to Keystone Law about drink-drive convictions as well as investigations into his conduct when he joined the listed law firm has been struck off.
Solicitor failed to spot conflict in property deals for vulnerable client
A solicitor failed to spot a conflict of interest when a vulnerable client’s attorneys bought five properties using her money but gave themselves a 50% ownership stake in each.
SRA “must look at how regulation can promote access to justice”
The SRA must explore how its work “can be used to enhance and promote access to justice”, such as by ensuring there are enough social welfare lawyers, the Legal Services Consumer Panel has said.
Suspended solicitor points finger at SRA over “administrative error”
A solicitor suspended for practising without insurance has blamed an admitted “administrative error” by the Solicitors Regulation Authority for triggering the events which led to it.
Law firm fined for paying proceeds of sale to third party
A law firm which failed to follow its internal processes and transferred the proceeds of a property sale to a third party has been fined for misconduct.
Solicitor who sent £147,500 cheque with resignation letter struck off
A solicitor who enclosed a cheque for £147,500 with his resignation letter, so he could leave a national law firm with a “clear conscience”, has been struck off.
Legal Choices portal “best way forward” for single register of lawyers
An improved version of the Legal Choices ‘Can you trust your legal adviser?’ portal could be “the best way forward” for a single digital register of all regulated lawyers, the LSB has said.
One in four complaints to Legal Ombudsman outside new time limits
More than a quarter (27%) of complaints made to the Legal Ombudsman are outside the new time limits introduced at the beginning of April, it has emerged.
Solicitor redacted witness statements to cover up mistakes
A solicitor has been struck off after redacting witness statements to cover up actions he had taken, including agreeing that his client would pay costs, without her knowledge.
LSB questions ‘one size fits all’ approach to indemnity insurance
The diversity of the legal services sector means the one-size-fits-all approach to professional indemnity insurance adopted by its regulators “may not be the most appropriate”.
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.
