“No reason” for sharp rise in interventions, SRA says
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has said it cannot explain why the number of interventions into law firms in the first five months of 2017 was twice the figure for the same period last year. The regulator said there was also a “noticeable increase” in the size of firm.
Bailiffs launch ABS “to capitalise on TV fame”
A firm of bailiffs made famous by a long-running TV series has launched an alternative business structure, in part to capitalise on the legal work that follows national exposure. DCB Legal Limited received its licence from the Solicitors Regulation Authority earlier this month.
SDT strikes off solicitor for falsely claiming to work at former firm
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has struck off a senior solicitor for dishonestly holding himself out as working for his former firm and falsely stating that he had sent out fewer letters on the firm’s notepaper than he knew to be the case.
Family lawyer who confessed “within hours” to faking letter is fined £2,000
A solicitor who confessed to his law firm that he had faked a letter “within hours” of sending it to a client, has been fined £2,000 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Ian Giddings, based at the Warwick office of national family firm Woolley & Co, admitted creating and backdating the letter.
Survey: “conveyancer numbers fall while caseloads and efficiency grow”
More property transactions and fewer people doing the work have increased conveyancers’ caseloads, but amid mounting pressure their productivity has grown by 70% since 2012, according to a survey. Among other things, it found that in 2016 conveyancers were spending a day and a half less per case and doing one case a week more than four years earlier.
Cybercrime against law firms higher than ever, SRA says
Reports of cybercrime from law firms reached record levels in the first quarter of this year, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has said. The figures are contained in the regulator’s latest Risk Outlook, which for the first time includes questionable investment schemes involving solicitors.
Legal tech firm to open source AI-based document tool
A legal tech firm is open source its AI-based document analysis tool next month, in one of the first moves of its kind for the sector. Its co-founder said he believed that the smallest legal tech start-ups could be based on the tool and then “1,000 flowers can bloom”.
Exclusive: Bar disciplinary tribunal panel recuses itself after barrister complains of bias
The panel of a Bar disciplinary tribunal has taken the highly unusual step of recusing itself after an allegation that it had shown actual or apparent bias against the defendant barrister, Legal Futures can reveal. The decision is the latest twist in a long-running saga involving a barrister who has twice been cleared of other allegations in the past three years.
Senior judge berates government lawyers over handling of MoJ negligence claim
A lady justice of appeal has berated the Government Legal Department over its defence of a negligence claim brought by a prison officer against the Ministry of Justice, saying its “lack of focus” led to a “huge workload which was wholly disproportionate to the real issues”.
Access to justice charity calls for profession to certify quality of public legal education
The profession should play an active role in certifying the quality of public legal information so as to help people identify whether they have legal problems, according to the head of an access to justice charity. The call came as the Solicitor General launched a new panel to drive forward legal education initiatives.
