Solicitors
Partner who employed banned solicitor is struck off
A partner who knowingly employed a struck-off solicitor has himself been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and ordered to pay over £56,000 in costs.
SRA: Law firm harassment cases behind majority of NDA complaints
More than half of the reports received by the SRA about the use of non-disclosure agreements in discrimination or harassment cases relate to claims made within law firms, it has emerged.
Solicitor fined £8,000 for second drink-driving conviction
A solicitor with a previous conviction for drink-driving has been fined £8,000 after she was caught again, having failed to learn from her first offence, a disciplinary tribunal decided.
PI solicitors who breached referral fee ban tried to blame SRA
Two personal injury lawyers who tried to blame “unhelpful” ethics guidance from the Solicitors Regulation Authority for paying banned referral fees have been fined by a tribunal.
Solicitor convicted of sending woman abusive Facebook messages
A junior solicitor who was convicted after sending a woman he briefly dated a series of abusive Facebook messages has had his sentence reduced but now faces regulatory action too.
Solicitor convicted over cannabis farm suspended from practice
A solicitor has been suspended from practice after being convicted of allowing a small cannabis farm to grow in her house. A tribunal said maintaining the profession’s reputation required it.
Paralegal jailed for swindling money from clients’ estates
A paralegal who stole £70,000 from people’s estates to splash out on designer clothes and handbags has been jailed for more than three years. She posed as beneficiaries of two wills.
High Court criticises SDT’s “lack of clarity” as it overturns strike-off
A High Court judge has criticised the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal for “lack of clarity of thought” as it replaced a strike-off with a two-year suspension.
Academics and Law Society clash over in-house accountabillity
Leading academics at University College London have clashed with the Law Society over a proposal to exclude heads of legal from the FCA’s new framework for individual accountability.
Consumer panel attacks SRA over freelance solicitors ‘u-turn’
The chair of the Legal Services Consumer Panel has strongly attacked the Solicitors Regulation Authority for changing its insurance requirements for freelance solicitors without giving a reason.
Barrister and solicitor thrown out of profession for sex offences
A barrister jailed for 10 years for multiple sex offences has been disbarred, while a solicitor convicted of three offences and handed a suspended sentence has been struck off.
Solicitor sanctioned for role in fraudulent transfer of Islamic centre
A solicitor who recklessly facilitated a “dubious transaction” involving an Islamic community centre has been fined £20,000 and given a suspended suspension by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
Convicted solicitor MP to face disciplinary tribunal
The Solicitors Regulation Authority confirmed today that it is prosecuting MP Fiona Onasanya after she was convicted of perverting the course of justice by lying about a speeding offence.
Solicitor convicted of subletting council home
A solicitor’s conviction for illegally subletting his council flat in London has been upheld after he lost his appeal against a suspended jail sentence. He was living and working as a solicitor in Birmingham.
Insurers “not interested in backing freelance solicitors”
An expert in law firm regulation has said he does not know a single insurer interested in providing indemnity insurance to freelance solicitors, a concern echoed by the Law Society.
Blog
The AI revolution: practice excellence is about to reach a new level
The crux of all conversations with law firms has been: “how can generative AI support greater practice and client service without compromising security?”
TikTok or TikNot: Is social media working for you?
The average law firm spends around a quarter of its marketing budget on social media but sees little in return, our research found.
Tomorrow’s legal landscape: helping firms prepare for change
Law firms must constantly question the status quo and be willing to adapt. Take nothing for granted. Never say ‘we’ve always done it this way’; never say ‘we’re lawyers and we’re different’.
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