Solicitor who lied about property during own divorce is struck off
A partner in a South Yorkshire law firm who failed to disclose on the financial statement for his own divorce proceedings ownership of a second property has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. He falsely stated that the proceeds of sale of the building had been invested in a failed property venture.
Online quotes giving specialist conveyancers edge over high street solicitors
High street solicitors are losing out to specialist conveyancing businesses in capturing clients, new research has shown, but all lawyers still have much to improve on client communication. More than a third of clients would even consider paying more for a premium service, it found.
Law Society and CBA float prosecution and defence career option to tackle criminal lawyer shortage
The Law Society and the Criminal Bar Association are discussing the possibility of a new career path for criminal lawyers involving both defence and prosecution work, it has emerged, after the CBA chair warned of the “decimation” of both the criminal Bar and the solicitors’ profession if no action was taken to tackle an “unprecedented recruitment crisis”.
ABSs top the 1,000 mark as research highlights changing face of legal market
New competition since the introduction of alternative business structures, along with client demands is changing the face of the legal market, research has suggested, with the number of ABSs now topping 1,000. It also showed that 44% of law firms are now incorporated companies, while the number of traditional partnerships shrinking to only 17%.
Suspension for solicitor convicted of texting client in prison
A solicitor convicted of contacting her imprisoned client by mobile phone – sending him 102 text messages in less than three months – has been suspended from practice. The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal found that she was under intense competitive pressure after setting up her own firm and had come to use texting as a convenient way to contact clients.
AI revolution will affect lawyers less than many other occupations, report predicts
Legal professionals will escape the artificial intelligence revolution relatively unscathed compared to other occupations, with high educational achievement being a key factor, according to a major report on the long-term impact of automation on jobs.
Gordon Dadds keeps the acquisitions coming with third deal in a month
Listed law firm Gordon Dadds has made its third acquisition in a month in buying Cardiff firm Thomas Simon. The acquisition vehicle is paying £1.875m plus an amount related to net tangible assets. If all the turnover targets are met for the four firms it has bought since listing, Gordon Dadds will have paid around £20m.
Solicitor “severely reprimanded” for misconduct while trying to correct 15-year-old error
A solicitor has been “severely reprimanded” by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) after he compounded an error made by his firm 15 years previously when it failed to follow instructions over a property transfer. It is not a sanction that is seen any more but the SRA said it was available when the events took place a decade ago.
Lawtech start-up incubator closes 2018 pitch round with applications up
Applications were up in the latest round of an accelerator programme for lawtech start-ups run by a London law firm, with smart contracts among technologies of particular interest, it has emerged. Six companies will win through to work with Mishcon de Reya from the “concept through to revenue-generating stage”.
“Neural network” robot lawyer plots international expansion
An online legal advice website has created an artificial intelligence-backed robot that it claims has been trained to answer questions on consumer rights law in natural language using one of the world’s largest datasets.
