Quality of AML reports from solicitors “getting worse”
The quality of one of the two main kinds of anti-money laundering reports made by solicitors has got significantly worse, a senior manager at the National Crime Agency said yesterday.
Knights hits the acquisition trail again with move into South-West
Listed law firm Knights has returned to the acquisition trail and its strategy of targeting secondary legal locations by striking a deal to move into Exeter, while also reporting “robust” trading.
Report questions equality initiatives that “set women apart”
Some of the measures used by law firms to tackle a lack of gender diversity in senior roles could be “ineffective or even counter-productive”, a report has found.
Commercial property solicitor’s “outrageous failure” leads to strike-off
A solicitor whose conduct of several property transactions has triggered multi-million-pound negligence claims against his former firm has now been struck off.
PII market “only getting harder” after 17% premium increase
The market for professional indemnity insurance is likely to continue to worsen but future premium rises should not be at the average of 17% seen this autumn, a leading broker has predicted.
Solicitor ordered to repay small part of legal aid fraud proceeds
A solicitor and her partner who defrauded a law firm and the Legal Aid Agency of almost £95,000 in a translation scam will have to repay just £5,584, a court decided last week.
“Massively busy” ABS plans further growth
An alternative business structure which launched as a specialist conveyancing firm with three staff in March 2019 is aiming to hit 50 staff across a range of practice areas by the end of 2021.
Transparency “will cure ills” of conveyancing referral fees
Transparency over referral fees in conveyancing work will drive out bad practice, a government official said yesterday, while also calling for greater consistency in how law firms publish their prices.
Barristers aim to end “shocking” lack of diversity on Western Circuit
A group of barristers has launched a bid to end what they describe as a “shocking” lack of diversity on the Western Circuit, where none of the full-time circuit judges are from BAM) backgrounds.
Barristers sanctioned for misconduct while working as or for solicitors
Two barristers who have faced the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal have now been sanctioned by the Bar’s counterpart, with one being disbarred and the other reprimanded.
