Barrister who claimed to have “same freedoms” as solicitor loses appeal against suspension
A barrister who told a direct access client he had “all the same freedoms” as a solicitor to conduct litigation, when he did not, has lost a High Court appeal against his three-month suspension. Garnham J described Oliver White’s misconduct as “serious”.
Slater & Gordon tight-lipped as Australian law firms recruit shareholders for group actions
Slater & Gordon (S&G) has remained tight-lipped as two Australian law firms invite shareholders in S&G to register for potential group actions against it. One of the firms, Maurice Blackburn, said concerns centred on the “timing and accuracy” of information released by S&G.
Court of Appeal: judges working as barristers do not have to disclose “every ongoing piece of litigation”
Appeal judges have ruled that part-time judges who are working as barristers do not have to reveal details of “every ongoing piece of litigation” they are dealing with to ward off accusations of bias.
Lawyers denied further chance to complain, as LSB avoids government review
Lawyers will have to wait patiently for another chance to complain to the government about the Legal Services Board (LSB) as it emerged that the board’s second ‘triennial review’, due this year, has been scrapped.
Conveyancer who tested Veyo: Law Society “built something nobody wanted”
The managing director of a law firm involved in testing Veyo has described how the Law Society realised too late that it had “built something nobody wanted”. David Bridge said what was left of Veyo should be converted into a secure portal for conveyancers.
BSB sticks to its guns on limited ABS licensing
The Bar Standards Board has rejected suggestions that its application to become an alternative business structure licensing authority will unnecessarily restrict the extent of non-lawyer ownership and so have a detrimental effect on competition.
One in ten legal advice agencies facing closure next year
One in ten legal advice agencies warn that they are likely to close next year, a report for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has revealed. More than half had been forced to make major changes as a result of LASPO.
Exclusive: Relate to launch UK’s first divorce ODR system
The first online dispute resolution (ODR) system for divorcing and separating couples in the UK is to be launched by Relate next spring. Relate has received no government funding for the project, and instead relied on a number of sources, including Google.
Jailed solicitor who stole from estates struck off for “disgraceful” behaviour
Simon Armitage, a sole practitioner jailed for four years in October for fraud, has been struck off in his absence by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. Although the solicitor had wished to come off the roll voluntarily, it was “in the public interest” for his misconduct to be “aired before the tribunal”.
Two out and two in once again – SRA maintains City bias on its board
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has again maintained the City bias on its board with its latest batch of appointments. Like last year, two City solicitor members have left the board and been replaced with two more – one from magic circle firm Freshfields and the other in-house at ITV.
