UK first as Ulster University launches legal innovation centre
Ulster University launched the UK’s first legal innovation centre last night, bringing together its law school, school of computing and intelligent systems, and global law firms Allen & Overy and Baker McKenzie. It aims to operate at the intersection between legal process innovation, technology and access to justice.
Downward trend in conveyancing firms stopped in its tracks as work volumes rise
The total number of law firms registering conveyancing transactions rose 4% in 2016 to 5,572, halting five years going the other way, and they are busier than before the financial crash, new figures have shown. However, the overall trend of active conveyancing firms has been steeply downwards in the last decade.
Lawyers sue to discover extent of information obtained by “corporate spy”
A solicitor and barrister who act for an anti-asbestos campaign are in a legal battle over what confidential and privileged information was passed on by a supposed TV documentary maker who was actually placed in the campaign to spy on its activities.
Convicted solicitor was “naive but not dishonest”, says tribunal
The solicitor convicted of transferring criminal property after being taken in by a charismatic conman posing as the Pope’s banker was naïve but not dishonest, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has said in explaining why it considered a £2,000 fine sufficient penalty for her misconduct.
Legal Services Board launches probe into whether Law Society fetters SRA’s independence
The Legal Services Board has stepped up the pressure on the Law Society’s role as the approved regulator of solicitors by announcing a formal investigation into whether the Solicitors Regulation Authority has sufficient independence.
Law firm insurer fails in High Court bid to recover property fraud losses from solicitor
A highly experienced solicitor who breached the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 in a property transaction that led to a £500,000 fraud did not act dishonestly, the High Court has ruled. As a result, it dismissed a subrogated claim brought by the insurers of London law firm Pemberton Greenish to make her cover what they had to pay out.
You’re all through – good news for 1,000 lawyers who should have been eliminated from recorder competition
A thousand solicitors and barristers who would have been eliminated from the recorder appointment competition but for a meltdown of the Judicial Appointments Commission’s website on Wednesday have instead got through to the next round.
Two law firms ‘named and shamed’ over minimum wage breaches
Two law firms have found themselves ‘named and shamed’ in the government’s latest list of businesses that failed to pay workers the national minimum wage – although for one of them it amounted to an underpayment of 50p a week.
Gloomy Slater & Gordon sees shares tumble to all-time low after warning of UK trading difficulties
The recovery of Slater & Gordon’s UK business is going “slower than expected”, with trading results being adjusted downwards as a result, and the negative mood about the firm is now hitting its home business in Australia, it has admitted in a trading update that appeared to be preparing investors for disappointing half-year results later this month.
Chaos as judicial appointments website crashes with 2,500 would-be recorders trying to take test
The Judicial Appointments Commission’s website crashed yesterday under the weight of up to 2,500 solicitors and barristers trying to take the online qualifying test that marks the first stage of a recorder recruitment competition that Lord Chancellor Liz Truss highlighted for its potential to improve diversity on the bench.
