Court of Appeal to refer City law firm to SRA and DPP after revoking £500,000 costs order
The criminal division of the Court of Appeal has taken the unusual step of announcing its intention to refer a City law firm to the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The move came after the court ordered businessman Hitendra Patel and criminal law specialists Neumans to repay interim costs of £500,000 to the Lord Chancellor at a hearing last month.
Judge overturns SDT decision to clear Axiom fund solicitors
The High Court has overturned a decision by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal that cleared two solicitors accused of misusing £573,000 lent to their law firm by the controversial Axiom Legal Financing Fund.
Law firm rejects “idiot” tag for identifying unmarked police cars
A criminal law firm has hit back at a Sunday tabloid newspaper story that quoted a senior policewoman who condemned as “idiotic” its Facebook posts identifying unmarked police cars. The firm told readers that while other firms “will promise you the earth… we’re more practical”.
Online wills venture with big-name backing stakes everything on simplicity
Online wills start-up Farewill hopes to motivate people to make wills by attracting them with simplicity and branded design rather than extensive add-ons. The founders of property website Zoopla and short-term loans business Wonga, together with the tech investment arm of advertising agency M&C Saatchi Plc, have backed the venture.
Partners fined for failing to supervise thieving cashier
Two law firm partners have been fined by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal for failing to properly supervise a legal cashier who stole over £30,000 from their firm’s office account. She also cashed cheques made out to the firm, but these were repaid by the bank as it was not meant to allow anyone other than a partner to do so.
Dixon swaps solicitors for farmers
Outgoing Law Society chief executive Catherine Dixon is to take up the same role at one of the largest agricultural and further education colleges in the UK. Askham Bryan College, which is near York, has nearly 4,000 students at sites across the north of England.
Solicitor sanctioned for letting residual client balances build up and not registering LPAs
A solicitor who built up residual client balances of nearly £200,000 has been rebuked and fined by the Solicitors Regulation Authority – six years after he was advised as to his conduct for the same failure. He also admitted failing to register lasting powers of attorney on behalf of clients.
Government forecast on impact of PI reforms “skewed against lawyers”, say economists
The government’s own assessment of the impact of its planned personal injury reforms “makes the implicit assumption that solicitors, and the civil justice system as a whole, produce no benefits to society”, according to independent economists. They said the reforms would benefit insurers at the expense of consumers and taxpayers.
QualitySolicitors shake-out continues as longstanding member goes it alone
One of the longest-serving members of the QualitySolicitors network has quit after six years as it bids to refocus on its local market and expand the range of services it offers. Kent-based Martin Tolhurst Solicitors revealed plans for what it called “a major investment” in the non-conveyancing parts of its business.
Cross-industry group sets high pass mark for government PI reforms as Labour and claimant lawyers hit out
The government’s proposed personal injury reforms have to at least match the current 86% pre-court settlement rate of the RTA portal or there will be serious consequences for the justice system, one of the few cross-profession respondents to the Ministry of Justice consultation has said.
