Regulation
SDT: Drink-drive solicitor did not automatically undermine public trust
A solicitor convicted of drink-driving after a motorbike accident did not automatically undermine public trust in the profession, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has ruled.
Profession has struggled with AML rules, says firm fined £10,000
A Surrey law firm has been fined £10,000 for breaches of the anti-money laundering rules in its training, approach to risk assessment and in a conveyancing transaction which produced £850 in fees.
Solicitor struck off for “sophisticated” Land Registry fraud
A solicitor jailed for more than three years for forging Land Registry documents in a family dispute with the owners of a Newcastle takeaway has been struck off.
SRA bid to cut Compensation Fund payout cap facing rejection
Controversial Solicitors Regulation Authority plans to cut the maximum award from its Compensation Fund from £2m to £500,000 are facing rejection by the Legal Services Board.
SRA backs new cyber-losses clause for indemnity policies
The extent to which losses caused by cyber attacks are covered by law firms’ professional indemnity insurance policies is to be clarified by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Fine for solicitor who acted on both sides in “undue influence” house sale
A solicitor acted for both sides in a house sale at an undervalue between a 78-year-old woman and her 34-year-old boyfriend, which was set aside by the High Court on the grounds of undue influence.
Negligence claim against Irwin Mitchell thrown out after assignment
National law firm Irwin Mitchell has been granted summary judgment in a professional negligence claim because the retainer prevented its former client assigning his cause of action.
Solicitors who misused £1m raised from loan notes struck off
Two solicitors who issued £1m in loan notes to prop up their firm have been struck off for misusing the money and leaving their investors nursing huge losses.
Ban for accountant jailed over £400k theft from major City law firm
A management accountant jailed for stealing £400,000 from a major City law firm over six years has now been banned from working in the legal profession.
Solicitor paid away £290k of sale proceeds after falling for email fraud
A veteran solicitor who was tricked by an email fraud to pay out £290,000 in proceeds from a conveyancing transaction to a third party has been fined £10,000.
Blog
Five key issues to consider when adopting an AI-based legal tech
As generative AI starts to play a bigger role in our working lives, there are some key issues that your law firm needs to consider when adopting an AI-based legal tech.
Bulk litigation – not always working in consumers interests
For consumers to get the benefit, bulk litigation needs to be done well, and we are increasingly concerned that there are significant problems in some areas of this market.
ABSs, cost and audits – fixing regulation after Axiom Ince
A feature of law firm collapses and frauds has sometimes been the over-concentration of power in outdated and overburdened systems of control.
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