Solicitors

Law firms should issue two separate retainers to clients where they are provided with consumer credit as well as purely legal services, the Legal Ombudsman has suggested.

David Hassall, a senior partner turned barrister whose career mirrors recent changes in legal services, has set up an alternative business structure – which he intends to operate on a ‘John Lewis’ profit share model.

Failure to undertake continuous professional development will be an “aggravating factor” when enforcement decisions are made against those guilty of incompetence, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has said.

The Law Society has failed in a bid to block a High Court action against it for negligent misrepresentation, after a bogus solicitor got himself listed on the society’s Find a Solicitor website and stole money from a house purchaser.

Charles Plant is leaving the Solicitors Regulation Authority at the end of this month “in a great deal better state than where I found it”, he has said in an interview to mark the end of his five-year tenure.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has closed an alternative business structure after obtaining a High Court order to obtain crucial evidence.

Four criminal law barristers have appealed to the Supreme Court in their judicial review of the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) – despite a costs bill which already totals £215,000, Legal Futures can reveal.

The Legal Services Consumer Panel has thrown its weight behind the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) in arguing that it should no longer regulate consumer credit work.

There is an increasing risk of law firms failing to have adequate systems and controls to prevent, detect and report money laundering and terrorist financing, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has warned.

He has been sued 18 times in relation to the website he founded, and lost each time, but now Rick Kordowski, the man behind SolicitorsFromHell.co.uk, has recorded an unexpected High Court win.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has rejected a proposal by the Law Society to extend the additional indemnity run-off cover provided by the Solicitors Indemnity Fund (SIF) for a further three years until 2023.

A request by the Bar Council for law firms to be given automatic access to BARCO has been rejected by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, it has emerged.

Four law firms have recently lost £2m from their client accounts after falling victim to scammers who tricked them into disclosing bank security information over the telephone, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has warned.

Some “genuinely shocking” cases of money laundering by law firms are currently going through the disciplinary system, a senior manager at the Solicitors Regulation Authority has warned the profession.

The Legal Services Board (LSB) has rejected plans by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to cut the indemnity cover limit for law firms from £2m to £500,000.