Compliance & Regulation
SRA: “Major shortcomings” in high-volume consumer claim work
The SRA is developing materials to help law firms handling high-volume consumer claims improve how they onboard clients after major research showed significant shortcomings.
SRA outlines further tightening of complaints-handling rules
New rules requiring law firms to give clients a timeline for resolving complaints they have made, and provide regular updates, have been proposed by the SRA.
KC wins appeal against disbarment over Oxford University lie
The High Court has overturned the disbarment of a barrister who lied in an interview and on a CV 13 years ago that he had attended Oxford University.
Solicitor suspended for offensive comments and bottom pinching
A former partner at a City law firm has been suspended for a year after he made antisemitic, racist and sexualised comments to junior colleagues.
PM Law’s finance chief disqualified over missing client money
The longstanding HOFA at PM Law was involved in moving money from its client accounts and then fabricated the bank balances.
KC to face contempt hearing over closing speech
The KC accused of not following court directions in his closing speech on behalf of a Palestine Action activist is to face contempt proceedings.
Partner transferred £700,000 to client “to avoid negligence claim”
A former partner in a London law firm transferred almost £700,000 of his own money to a client company to avoid a negligence claim.
Don’t kick transparency rules into long grass, SRA told
The Solicitors Regulation Authority must publish a timeline setting out when it will resume work on the transparency rules for law firms.
Law firm COFA barred for transferring funds from client account
The COFA of an eight-office Home Counties law firm shut down by the Solicitors Regulation Authority earlier this year has been barred from the profession.
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.
Blog
The AI governance gap in law firms and why it matters now
A third of law firms are already using AI tools with no formal policy in place to govern how AI gets used, what data goes into it, or who’s accountable when something goes wrong.
Information isn’t oversight – lessons from the PM Law review
The PM Law review’s real findings perhaps point to a failure mode applying to any organisation sitting on scattered risk information.
AI can do the work but it cannot inherit the lawyer’s duty
What happens when lawyers delegate cognitive work to AI but remain personally responsible for judgements they may no longer have independently reasoned through?
Reports
Associates
