High Court rejects Barnett’s appeal against strike-off
The High Court has rejected an appeal by Richard Barnett, senior partner of collapsed conveyancing firm Barnetts, against his striking-off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. Mr Barnett, a former Law Society council member, had earlier failed in a bid to use costs he had paid to the SRA to fund an advocate.
OECD urges competition bodies to help open up legal markets to disruptive innovators
Regulation of lawyers across the developed world is under pressure from technological and other disruptions, and national competition authorities should seize the opportunity to guarantee market access for new entrants, the OECD has advised.
Sole practitioner struck off for “masterclass in failure to comply”
A sole practitioner has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal for a “catalogue of proven breaches” of the rules which “amounted to a masterclass in failure to comply with the basic requirements of practice as a solicitor”.
Barristers unhappy with BSB warning on commercial pressures
Barristers have complained that the decision of their regulator to make public the risk of commercial pressures damaging the Bar could on its own have a negative impact on the profession’s reputation. There are also reports of “growing anxiety” among young barrister about chambers being run as corporate organisations.
Unregulated firm calls in unregistered barristers to help SMEs
A new unregulated law firm is using unregistered barristers to offer small businesses “unlimited legal advice” for as little as £49.50 per month. Philip Harmer, founder of LawPlan, said the business “set out to give value, which seems like an impossibility in the legal world”.
Call for two-tier regulation based on client money
There should be a two-tier system of legal regulation that distinguishes between those branches of the profession that hold client money and those that do not, the chairman of the Costs Lawyer Standards Board has argued.
SRA drops annual diversity surveys to help small firms
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has decided to drop annual diversity surveys of the profession, and make them biennial, to reduce the regulatory burden on smaller law firms. The regulator said the next survey, scheduled for this summer, would not take place until May 2017.
Barrister firm to be like solicitors’ practice – “but a better kind of solicitor”
One of the newest barrister entities has said that using its services will be “like going to a solicitor’s firm, but a better kind of solicitor”. In a separate development, two barristers have set up a BSB-regulated firm to provide clients with a “bespoke service”, principally in sports, entertainment and media law.
SDT allows solicitor who overturned strike-off to return to practice
A solicitor who successfully challenged her strike-off at the High Court can return to practice following a decision by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. A fresh tribunal said it would be “disproportionate” to strike off Rukhsana Kiani.
Fine for CMC that made 17.5m unsolicited calls in six months
A claims management company that made 17.5m automated calls over just six months, asking people if they had suffered hearing loss at work, has been fined £250,000 by the Information Commissioner’s Office.
