Compliance & Regulation

Axiom Ince chief executive Pragnesh Modhwadia and fellow solicitor Shyam Mistry, along with three senior staff, were charged today by the Serious Fraud Office.

The solicitor accused of trying to improperly restrict publication of an email he sent to a high-profile lawyer over the affairs of former Conservative MP Nadeem Zahawi, has been fined £50,000.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has opened dozens of investigations into law firms in relation to their conduct of volume litigation. Between them, they handle more than 150,000 claims.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has banned a third former employee of Axiom Ince from working in the profession in future without its permission due to “serious” misconduct.

EU states may prohibit external investment in law firms because of the need to protect lawyers’ independence, the Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled.

The High Court has referred a barrister to the Bar Standards Board for launching a judicial review which was “abusive and bound to fail” on behalf of a client facing extradition.

The SRA has issued the highest fine since the limit went up to £25,000 among 14 handed out in recent weeks for breaches of the anti-money laundering rules.

Law firms need to be careful in marketing their services as ‘no win, no fee’, and in how they attract clients, especially in high-volume claims work, the SRA told solicitors today.

A solicitor accused by MI5 of being an agent of the Chinese government has lost her challenge to the assessment. She said her law firm had suffered “irreparable reputational harm”.

A young lawyer who changed dates on lasting powers of attorney and misled clients about when they were sent to the Office of the Public Guardian has been struck off.

A council solicitor who amended a signed witness statement without express confirmation of the changes before submitting it to the High Court has been cleared of misconduct.

A male ex-partner at City giant Freshfields who groped a female associate after a team Christmas party has been suspended from practice for two years.

Law firms handling probate work could do more to guard against the risks of a conflict when administering estates and also acting as the executor, the SRA has cautioned.

Too many solicitors only check their professional obligations when things go wrong and are over-reliant on their firm’s COLP to keep on top of regulatory issues, according to SRA research.

A man who provided immigration advice and services without being regulated has been handed a suspended jail sentence.