Solicitors
Conveyancer who overcharged for search fees is suspended
A conveyancing solicitor who worked on a commission basis has been suspended for two years after being found to have regularly overcharged clients for search fees.
Lewis case: “Wishing death on neo-Nazis” went too far
High-profile media solicitor Mark Lewis was subject to “extreme provocation” on Twitter, but the tweets he sent in response did not live up to the profession’s standards, the SDT has ruled.
Solicitor “led judge to believe” she was a barrister
An experienced solicitor-advocate has been struck off for misleading a judge that she was a barrister and then misleading the solicitors on the other side who questioned her behaviour.
QC appointment reforms aim to help women apply
Changes to the QC appointment regime aimed to help women apply for silk are to be introduced for the 2019 round, the body in charge of the scheme has announced.
Solicitor fails in bid to set aside £700k HMRC statutory demand
A solicitor has failed in his effort to set aside a £717,000 statutory demand arising from a guarantee he gave over money his firm owed HM Revenue & Customs.
Solicitor struck off after trying to influence medical expert
A personal injury solicitor who “improperly attempted” to influence a doctor by turning up to a medical examination of his client in the role of translator has been struck off.
SRA slices £6m off budget while missing performance targets
The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s budget is to fall 7% – or £6m – in the next year, against the background of failing to meet two of its three performance targets.
SRA reveals cost of Leigh Day case and ministers’ intense interest
The Solicitors Regulation Authority revealed today that its investigation into Leigh Day cost £3.1m and also published correspondence that showed the close interest ministers took in the case.
Solicitor who owed barristers £146,000 in fees is struck off
A solicitor who admitted that he owed barristers over £146,000 in fees, and even took money from the estate of his dead mother, has been struck off.
Law firms “will stop using email within five years”
Email will be replaced within five years by a more secure means of communication for law firms, an expert predicted this week. Meanwhile, the SRA is using behavioural science in its messaging.
Solicitor’s conviction for neglecting mother quashed
The Court of Appeal has quashed a jail sentence of two and a half years imposed on a solicitor, who specialised in care for the elderly, for neglecting her mother.
Multiplicity of legal regulators “not helping AML fight”
The “multiplicity” of legal and accountancy regulators in the UK is not helping the fight against money laundering, the Financial Action Task Force has complained.
SRA: Law firms must be able to explain decisions made by AI
Law firms must be able to explain “automated decisions”, including those involving artificial intelligence (AI), the Solicitors Regulation Authority has warned.
SQE does “violence to law” as academic discipline
The introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination does “significant violence to law as an academic discipline and to our colleagues and students”, law lecturers have argued.
What transparency? Only 28% of websites show prices
The profession has a long way to go to meet the new price and service transparency requirements, with just 28% of firms compliant or close to compliant, our research has found.
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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