Neuberger: ODR may become only route to justice for smaller claims – but Bar is looking for alternatives
Online dispute resolution such as that used for low-value disputes by eBay could be the only way of ensuring access to justice in moderate-sized claims in future – but the Bar Council is trying to find an alternative that retains hearings, according to the president of the Supreme Court.
Tribunal upgrades fines for solicitors who ran SDLT avoidance schemes to three-year suspensions
Two solicitors originally fined £15,000 by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal for their involvement in operating tax avoidance schemes have been suspended for three years at a new hearing – although the Solicitors Regulation Authority had been pushing for strike-offs.
Report: ABSs punch well above their weight
Alternative business structures (ABS) make up just 4% of all solicitors’ firms but contributed 11% of the profession’s turnover, research has revealed. The Law Society’s annual statistical report, found ABSs were spread broadly across the different turnover bands, with around 50 of them having income in excess of £10m.
Regional law firm launches niche referral network
A regional law firm based in Peterborough has taken on the big referral networks by setting up a niche scheme of its own. BUCKLESconnect, launched this month, specialises in advice on French and Spanish law, planning and construction, and contentious probate.
“Change in law needed” to open up Legal Ombudsman to clients of unregulated firms, says boss
Only a change in the law would allow the Legal Ombudsman to cover complaints from consumers of unregulated law firms, the chair of the organisation’s governing body has said as he called on paralegals to campaign for access to the redress scheme.
Americans to revisit ABSs after finding “no evidence” of harm to date
The evidence to date has not backed up the critics of alternative business structures, the American Bar Association has said as it announced it is to revisit the merits of allowing them just three years after its last investigation kept the door firmly closed.
Partner sanctioned for not reporting firm’s financial problems
A solicitor has avoided an appearance before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal after accepting a rebuke for failing to report his firm’s “serious financial difficulties”. The firm owed both the taxman and its bank hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Suspension for barrister who told chambers he was working pro bono when client was actually paying
A family law barrister who told his chambers that he was acting for a lay client pro bono, and then tried to hide the e-mail trail that proved the client had actually paid him more than £15,000, has been reprimanded and suspended, among several recent Bar disciplinary rulings.
Money laundering reforms “would make SARs regime risk based”
The government has pledged radical reform of the suspicious activity reports regime and its replacement with an intelligence-led, risk-based focus. The proposals include removal of the existing consent regime, and with it the scrapping of the existing statutory money laundering defence.
Solicitor fined for inappropriate text messages to client
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has fined a solicitor £5,000 for misconduct after he sent inappropriate texts to a vulnerable client who was the victim of domestic abuse. In the course of its judgment, the tribunal laid down best practice for communications between solicitors and clients, including the need to avoid bad language or being patronising.
