Compliance & Regulation

A ban on UK lawyers providing ‘legal advisory services’ to Russians comes into force today, while a review has found good level of sanctions compliance among commercial barristers.

The first course offering the new way to qualify as a costs lawyer has begun admitting students in the wake of comments from a High Court master praising the contribution of costs lawyers.

A large conveyancing firm in the North-West is to close its doors on Friday, with its two directors taking some staff to join the practice owned by listed company Smoove.

Retired judges who engage in legal work after their retirement, whether advocacy or litigation, should be regulated by the BSB or SRA, academics have argued.

North London law firm Alexander & Partners has bought parts of the Law Direct group of 13 law firms in a pre-pack following its administration.

A new power for the Solicitors Regulation Authority to levy unlimited fines in cases of economic crime will extend to SLAPPs, the government has confirmed.

The boss of the world’s largest litigation funder has accused the Solicitors Regulation Authority of squandering the opportunities offered by alternative business structures.

Law firms should have to publish their fees for family and employment work beyond unfair dismissal claims, Legal Services Consumer Panel has told the SRA.

A solicitor who lied to various clients about the progress of their matters caused so many claims against his firm that it had to close because of rising indemnity insurance premiums.

Amendments to the Standards & Regulations will not stop law firms invoicing clients in advance and transferring the money into their office accounts, the SRA has said.

Two solicitors who paid their wives to clean a vault under the terms of a trust they oversaw preferred their interests over those of the trust and its beneficiary, the SDT has found.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority last week intervened in a group consisting of eight law firms after the primary business went into administration, as well as another group with four firms.

A group of eight major law firms have pledged to “understand the impact” of their advice on climate change and raised the possibility of not acting in matters that increase global warming.

Nation states and hacktivists are cyber threats to law firms in addition to criminals, the government’s National Cyber Security Centre as warned.

Bias among those who make complaints and the types of firms BAME solicitors work for might explain why they are overrepresented in disciplinary activity, researchers have suggested.