Tribunal upholds council refusal to disclose information on ‘Twitter storm’ SEN law firm
The First-tier Tribunal has upheld a council’s refusal to hand over information on its handling of a review into its dealings with a law firm that caused an uproar by sending out a series of tweets appearing to gloat over defeating cases brought by parents of children with special educational needs.
Regional firm becomes ABS to accelerate growth plans and allow chief executive to invest
A law firm with offices across south Wales and Gloucestershire has become an alternative business structure to assist ambitious plans to exceed its rapid growth in 2017 and enable its non-lawyer chief executive to become an investor.
MoJ loses appeal against decision to award barrister forced to retire from bench £37,000
The Employment Appeal Tribunal has upheld the award of damages to a barrister whose application to continuing sitting as a part-time recorder beyond the statutory retirement age of 70 was refused, while a circuit judge’s was not. The original tribunal decided that he had been treated less favourably because he worked part-time.
Head of dissolved chambers suspended for not paying long-serving clerk contractual dues
A senior barrister has been suspended for failing to pay over a period of nearly five years what was due to a senior clerk at his previous chambers, of which he was head, when it was dissolved. A Bar disciplinary tribunal said the treatment of the clerk was made worse by the fact that he had held his post for 32 years.
Pressure on government to go further with PI cold-calling ban
The government’s insistence on pressing ahead with a ban on cold-calling by claims management companies (CMCs) that many argue does not go far enough will be put to the test today. MPs will consider the changes made during the committee stage of the Financial Guidance and Claims Bill and various further amendments put forward by the Labour opposition.
SRA tells law firms not to use non-disclosure agreements to hide misconduct
Law firms must not use non-disclosure agreements to prevent the reporting of professional misconduct – including sexual harassment or misconduct towards other employees or clients – the Solicitors Regulation Authority warned today.
Insurers can handle low-value PI claims between them, says top boss amid warning of CMC invasion
It should not be “beyond the wit of man” to design a system for low-value personal injury (PI) claims where insurers and their customers handle cases without the involvement of lawyers, the head of one of the country’s biggest insurance companies. The comments came alongside a claimant warning that the PI reforms left plenty of “meat” for CMCs.
Law firm that should have warned property investor clients of “Mafia risk” fails in Supreme Court bid
A law firm with offices in Italy and England has reached the end of the line in challenging a ruling that it was under a duty to warn British and Irish property investors of the risks of investing in a part of Italy associated with organised crime. The Court of Appeal upheld the decision and the Supreme Court has now refused to hear a second appeal.
A solicitor’s integrity means ethical rather than just honest behaviour, says Court of Appeal
The Court of Appeal yesterday spelt out the higher standards to which solicitors are held in defining what “integrity” means for the purposes of disciplinary action. It said integrity “connotes adherence to the ethical standards of one’s own profession” and involved “more than mere honesty”.
Women lawyers less ambitious for partnership, survey says
Women solicitors are significantly less likely to seek partnership and twice as likely to cite work/life balance or stress as the reason than men, according to a career satisfaction survey. The survey also found that employers are responding to the need to retain valued employees.
