
US and UK firms in battle for London market as growth continues
There is “increasing competition” for clients and lawyers between the large US and UK firms operating in London, as research shows strong continued growth among the largest City firms.

Bar Council calls for review of rules on fair allocation of work
The Bar Council has called on the Bar Standards Board to review the rules on fair allocation of work for barristers, saying that regulatory attention on diversity should focus on career progression.

Government urges on legal regulators over NDA action
The government is “strongly” encouraging legal regulators to take action over lawyers who advise on the use of potentially unenforceable provisions in non-disclosure agreements.

Solicitor who lied to firm over gifts from client is struck off
A solicitor who lied about gifts he received from a client has been struck off, with a tribunal finding that he had embarked on an “elaborate deception” of his employer involving a fake invoice.

“Cruel” solicitor jailed for stealing from severely injured clients
A struck-off solicitor who admitted stealing more than £700,000 from two vulnerable people while in practice has been jailed for four years.

Clifford Chance urges City firms to back anti-corruption pledge
Clifford Chance is to initiate discussions amongst the large London firms “to ratchet up what we can all do to counter corruption”, the firm’s general counsel has revealed.

FCA tells insurers and banks to respect CMCs
Insurers and others dealing with CMCs must provide the same service that they would when dealing directly with the customer, the FCA has warned ahead of taking over CMC regulation.

LeO to focus on improving quality – but delays remain
The Legal Ombudsman is to focus on improving the quality of its decision making as its caseload falls from 8,000 to a predicted 7,400 in 2019-20. But delays continue to dog the service.
Conveyancer who overcharged for search fees is suspended
A conveyancing solicitor who worked on a commission basis has been suspended for two years after being found to have regularly overcharged clients for search fees.

Lewis case: “Wishing death on neo-Nazis” went too far
High-profile media solicitor Mark Lewis was subject to “extreme provocation” on Twitter, but the tweets he sent in response did not live up to the profession’s standards, the SDT has ruled.







