Electronic wills at heart of overhaul of 188-year-old law
Plans to modernise will making – including allowing electronic wills – and reduce the number of disputes were today published by the Law Commission.
SRA hands out record £4m fine to non-lawyer owner of failed firm
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has imposed its largest-ever fine, just shy of £4m, on the former non-solicitor owner of collapsed law firm Kingly Solicitors.
High Court upholds strike-off for solicitor’s antisemitic tweets
The High Court has upheld the decision to strike off a solicitor over tweets on Israel and Palestine, saying they showed “unvarnished antisemitic racism”.
Private equity boom pushes law firm valuations to “upper end”
Competition among private equity buyers has pushed the value of law firms to the “upper end” of their “legitimate range”, it was claimed yesterday.
In-house solicitors’ contracts should “incorporate ethical rules”
A template letter for formally incorporating professional ethical obligations into an in-house solicitor’s employment contract was published yesterday by the Law Society.
Vaginal mesh solicitor to face multiple charges at SDT
A solicitor who acted for hundreds of women in vaginal mesh claims before his firm was shut down is to appear before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
SRA to “ratchet up” AML blitz after £575,000 of fines in six months
The SRA has handed out 50 fines totalling £575,000 for AML rule breaches in the last six months and promised to “ratchet up the consequences” for firms that still do not comply.
SRA decides against changing who pays for compensation fund
There was little support for a SRA proposal to reapportion contributions to the compensation fund so that individual solicitors pay more than firms, it has emerged.
Veteran barrister disbarred after “prolonged period of incompetence”
A veteran barrister has been disbarred after a “prolonged period of incompetence” during which he operated from chambers condemned by the BSB as “disorganised and chaotic”.
UWO will investigate how jailed ex-solicitor’s wife bought house
The unexplained wealth order issued against the ex-wife of the struck-off solicitor behind the Axiom Legal Financing Fund fraud will investigate whether her home was bought with tainted funds.
