Compliance & Regulation
SDT clears City lawyer in Zoom “espionage” case
A senior City lawyer accused of misconduct which the public would view as “perhaps even tantamount to espionage” has been cleared by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
LSB has “no role” in promoting use of technology
The Legal Services Board has “no role” in promoting the use of technology and there are “dangers in using regulatory levers to attempt to do so”, the Bar Council has warned.
SRA finally moves to shut down Axiom Ince
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has today closed down Axiom Ince, the scandal-hit law firm that was on the verge of collapse.
High Court rejects appeal from “I like what I see” solicitor
The High Court has rejected an appeal against a £20,000 fine imposed on a male law firm owner who said “mmm, I like what I see” to a young woman applying for a paralegal position.
LSB seeks new role as AML supervisor for legal services
The Legal Services Board has argued that it should take over responsibility for anti-money laundering supervision in legal services from OPBAS.
The SIF debate is finally over as SRA takes control of run-off scheme
The seven-year debate over the future of the Solicitors Indemnity Fund has finally ended, with the Solicitors Regulation Authority formally taking over its management on Sunday.
“Shocking and abhorrent” conduct – SDT explains Bretherton strike-off
The conduct of the City solicitor struck off for taking sexual advantage of an 18-year-old apprentice was “shocking and abhorrent”, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has said.
SRA fines law firm £45,000 for how it ran financial mis-selling claims
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has slapped a law firm with a £45,000 fine for multiple failures in its conduct of financial mis-selling claims.
Law firm data breach “highlights risks to domestic violence victims”
A family law firm that disclosed personal data about a woman and children to her rapist ex-partner has been highlighted in a warning over how data breaches are putting domestic abuse victims’ lives at risk.
Ban for cashier convicted of stealing from law firm employer
A legal cashier who received a suspended jail sentence for stealing money from her law firm’s office account has been banned from the profession.
Taskforce to investigate ethics of City law firms acting for oligarchs
A heavy hitting group of City lawyers and anti-corruption experts is to examine the ethics of solicitors providing civil legal services to overseas oligarchs and kleptocrats.
“We could yet intervene in Axiom Ince,” SRA boss says
The Solicitors Regulation Authority may yet intervene in Axiom Ince, the law firm that now seems on the brink of collapse, it confirmed yesterday.
SRA steps up pressure on immigration firms with new warning notice
The SRA has today ratcheted up the pressure on immigration firms, with a warning notice reminding them not to be “complicit in providing false or fabricated” information.
Fee-earner who favoured one client over another fails to lift ban
A non-solicitor fee-earner banned from working for law firms after favouring the interests of a woman who suffered from Alzheimer’s over her mentally ill husband has failed to overturn it.
Jail for lottery scam ex-solicitor who stole £2m of client money
A solicitor struck off for plundering £2m from his firm’s client accounts as well as trusts after falling victim to a lottery scam has been jailed for four years.
Blog
Why menopause support belongs on every law firm’s agenda
Progression in the law slows significantly as women approach senior leadership. Most will be at the height of their careers around the average age menopause symptoms begin.
Law firms need to go beyond document checks
At the root of every failed compliance review is a familiar phrase: a calm assertion of “but we did a document check”.
How you respond to mistakes matters more than the mistakes themselves
Mistakes in legal practice are inevitable. What truly differentiates well-run firms from those that stumble is not whether mistakes occur, but how they are handled when they do.
