Partner struck off after administering client’s estate for benefit of his associate and lover
A partner at a leading law firm who did not inform the client whose will he was revising that he was in a personal relationship with one of the beneficiaries – herself an associate at the firm – and gave himself the power to grant her 11 times as much as she was due from the estate after the client died, has accepted his removal from the profession.
Specialist employee ownership firm becomes ABS to extend its own employee ownership
A niche law firm specialising purely in employee ownership has become an alternative business structure to extend its own scheme to non-lawyers. The firm, a limited company, was one of the first in the country to introduce employee ownership four years ago.
Time to take competence seriously as new CPD regime kicks off
Law firms are being encouraged to get their act together now and come to terms with the new continuing professional development (CPD) regime for solicitors, which comes into force today. Firms can no longer choose to keep the old hours-based approach.
Wealth management company takes on dual SRA/FCA regulation after becoming ABS
A wealth management firm has become an alternative business structure and one of the first to adopt dual regulation by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority. In other ABS news, the vendors of Simpson Millar are to receive a further £3m after achieving the target for their earn-out.
SRA hit with rare costs order for bringing “improper” prosecution
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has made a rare costs order against the Solicitors Regulation Authority for having brought an “improper” prosecution against a law firm. It also expressed concern at how the regulator had ramped up the costs of the case by instructing leading counsel.
SRA to crack down on criminal law firm ‘touts’
There are increasing reports of ‘touting’ by criminal defence law firms – where they use agents to approach potential clients, even if they already have representation – the Solicitors Regulation Authority has warned.
SQE will become part of law degrees and make LPC “redundant”
Some universities will incorporate the first stage of the proposed Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) into their law degrees, the education and training director of the Solicitors Regulation Authority has predicted. She said this would make the legal practice course redundant.
Barrister disbarred over antisemitic and racist tweets
A barrister who sent out a series of anti-semitic and racist tweets has been disbarred by a Bar disciplinary tribunal. The tweets by unregistered barrister Ian Millard in November 2014 were found to be “seriously offensive”. He has also been reported to the police.
MoJ set to press ahead with regulatory independence
The Ministry of Justice has no intention of dropping its plans to separate the legal regulators from their representative bodies, it said yesterday as it unveiled reviews of how the Legal Services Board and Legal Ombudsman are operating.
SRA to warn public over solicitor “middlemen” giving investment scams credibility
The public is to be warned that solicitors are operating as “middlemen” to facilitate fraudulent high-yield investment schemes, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has revealed. The SRA is to educate the public about the dangers of what it described in a draft warning notice it plans to distribute as “‘get rich quick’ scams”.
