Compliance & Regulation
Strike-off for solicitor who kept charity in dark while overcharging estate
A solicitor who overcharged a deceased client’s estate by £35,000 and sold his house to a company owned by a trust of which she was a beneficiary has been struck off.
SDT “went easy” on solicitor who tried to trick farmer out of tenancy
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal was wrong to find that an agricultural law solicitor who used a ‘common’ ruse to trick an opponent was not dishonest.
Big fine for solicitor’s sexual harassment “a clear message”, says SDT
A male City solicitor who sexually harassed a female solicitor at a work event has been fined £30,000 in what a tribunal said was a “clear message” that such behaviour is “completely unacceptable”.
SQE stands up in the era of ChatGPT, says SRA chief
The Solicitors Qualifying Examination holds up well in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT, the boss of the Solicitors Regulation Authority says today.
City law firm staff banned after indecent photos convictions
Two support staff at leading City practices have been banned from the profession after being convicted of possessing indecent photographs of children.
“Over-excited” firms risk ChatGPT data breaches
Law firms and other businesses that are “over-excited” by the potential of ChatGPT to boost productivity risk inputting sensitive and confidential client information.
SRA to use new economic crime power “hundreds of times a year”
The Solicitors Regulation Authority expects to use its proposed new power to demand information from solicitors about economic crime several hundred times a year, it has emerged.
SRA fines firm £5k for persistent anti-money laundering failures
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has continued to flex its new fining powers by issuing a £5,000 penalty against a law firm for six years of anti-money laundering failures.
Two for two: struck-off Irish solicitor struck off in England and Wales
A solicitor already struck off in Ireland for a different offence has now been struck off in England and Wales after using one client’s money to pay another’s tax liability.
Partner suspended for trying to “trick” farmer out of tenancy
A partner in a large Midlands law firm, who tried to “trick” an elderly farmer out of part of his protected tenancy in the way he sent notices to quit, has been suspended for a year.
High Court: Solicitor did not “condone” partner’s £16m fraud
The insurer of London law firm Jirehouse – whose founder was jailed last year for fraud – has failed its ongoing bid to exclude liability for £6m in losses suffered by a client.
Solicitor who misled clients over LPA forms is struck off
A solicitor who told clients that the Office of the Public Guardian was to blame for what were actually her own errors in registering lasting powers of attorney has been struck off.
SRA sets out fee caps for financial mis-selling claims
The SRA has set out the fee caps it is planning to impose to prevent law firms handling financial product or services mis-selling claims from charging “excessive” fees.
Irwin Mitchell contact centre worker pretended to be lawyer
A contact-centre worker at Irwin Mitchell, who led another law firm to believe she was acting in an employment matter against its client, has been banned from working for law firms.
Metamorph closures have cost profession £1.4m so far
The closure of 16 offices of the Metamorph Group by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has so far cost the profession £1.4m, it has emerged.
Blog
Why later-life divorce requires a distinct professional framework
Later-life divorce, often described as ‘silver splitter’ or ‘grey divorce’ cases, is no longer a marginal feature of family law practice. It challenges long-standing assumptions about how divorce work is done.
Listening, learning and leading The Solicitor’s Charity with care
As I prepare to hand over the mantle of chair of The Solicitor’s Charity next month, it doesn’t feel like an end. Instead, it feels like a wonderful journey.
Is competition in the legal sector stifling innovation?
As the legal sector’s competitive landscape continues to evolve, Nobel laureates remind us that innovation is not inevitable,and that competition may not always be an incentive to innovate.
