
High Court judge: Counsel’s fees should be subject to guideline rates
It is “difficult to see the justification for treating counsel’s fees differently from solicitors’ fees” when it comes to applying guideline hourly rates, a High Court judge said yesterday.

Digital protocol prepares conveyancers for “huge step forward”
The Conveyancing Association has launched a future digital conveyancing protocol to help firms prepare for the “huge step forward” that greater use of upfront information and technology will achieve.

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.

Employment tribunal rejects circuit judges’ pension claims
An employment tribunal has dismissed a test case brought by three retired circuit judges who argued that they were treated unfairly by having to join a less generous judicial pension scheme.

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.

Listed PI business winding down joint venture ABS
NAHL – the listed business that owns National Accident Helpline – is winding down another of its joint venture alternative business structures as its own law firm goes from strength to strength.

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.

Law firm negligence claim over law firm negligence claim struck out
The High Court has struck out a negligence claim against a law firm over its pursuit of a negligence claim against their clients’ previous lawyers.

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.









