Solicitor who tried to avoid paying stamp duty on firm office purchase struck off
A solicitor has been struck off after he bought his home and his firm’s office for £1.3m but dishonestly declared he had paid only £265,000 altogether, in order to avoid paying over £50,000 in stamp duty land tax. He also attempted to dissuade the HMRC from making fines it issued to him public so as not to alert the SRA.
Firms “letting clients slip through their fingers” with failure to follow-up enquiries
Law firms still have a long way to go in dealing with enquiries from potential clients, with a failure to follow up initial contacts a particular weakness, mystery shopping research has found. In the most extreme example, not one of the 50 SME law firms that received a walk-in enquiry followed it up.
Exclusive: Leicester law firm plans national network of franchised high street offices
Edward Hands & Lewis, a Leicester-based law firm with 15 branches, is planning to launch a national network of franchised offices next year. Its senior partner said: “I’m a passionate believer in the high street solicitor, and I would love to see our brand in every high street. This is the best way to do it.”
White & Case overhauls conflicts procedure as SDT reveals thinking behind record £250k fine
US law firm White & Case has overhauled the way it deals with conflicts of interest in the wake of the investigation that led to its record £250,000 fine last month, including ensuring it can deal with differences between the UK and US, it has emerged. The full ruling of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal included strong words for the firm.
Clerk who worked for two firms at the same time banned from the profession
A clerk who handled cases for one law firm while being employed by another has been banned from working in the profession by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. A regulatory settlement agreement published yesterday said that Eugenia Dakwa also accepted a rebuke for her misconduct.
Fairpoint Group formally goes into administration – but Simpson Millar to trade on as “a going concern”
Fairpoint Group plc – the AIM-listed company that owns national law firm Simpson Miller – has today appointed joint administrators and announced its intention to leave the stock exchange, but stressed that its legal business will continue to trade as a going concern due to its separate funding.
Bid for higher SRA fining powers and lower burden of proof “on government agenda”
The Treasury yesterday finally published an update on progress with the recommendations of the Insurance Fraud Taskforce, showing that the possibility of increasing the fining power of the Solicitors Regulation Authority remains on the agenda. Work is also being done on a model letter insurers can send to claimants to check they have instructed lawyers.
Lawyers face prosecution threat over financial sanctions compliance
Lawyers are among those who could face prosecution if they fail to report information that could undermine UK financial sanctions, after a change to the law that came into force this week. “Independent legal professionals”, along with trust or company service providers, accountants and others are now captured by the European Union Financial Sanctions Regulations 2017.
High Court rejects claim of solicitors’ negligence involving payments from £230m trust fund
A High Court judge has dismissed a negligence claim against London law firm Farrer & Co in a case involving a client with a $300m (£231m) trust fund. A companion of the man argued that the firm had owed her a duty of care in relation to a £5m gift that the trustees had agreed to pay her but then stopped.
Court of Appeal tells barrister she is being “over-sensitive” with complaints about trial judge’s behaviour
The vice-president of the Court of Appeal’s criminal division has told a barrister who complained about a trial judge that she was over-sensitive and lacked an “understanding of the role of the judge in managing a jury trial”. Lady Justice Hallett said: “We do not expect counsel to behave or react in this way.”
