Tag Results
In brief: latest ABS, Co-op wins contract, top firms “don’t want” external cash, SRA race probe
Thursday, 29 November 2012Our regular round-up of important news nuggets includes the newest SRA-licensed ABS, an advice contract for the Co-op, a survey of top firms on how they are changing, a probe of SRA files to identify any racial discrimination, heavy fine for spam texters and much more.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, Co-op, COFA, COLP, compliance officer for finance and administration, compliance officer for legal practice, equality and diversity, external investment, Intellectual Property Regulation Board, IPReg, legal aid, legal disciplinary practice, legal process outsourcing, probate, Solicitors Regulation Authority
Posted in hrtraining, Latest news, Marketing & PR, News In Brief, Outsourcing
First successes in red tape challenge with SRA set to sweep away City irritants
Tuesday, 20 November 2012The end of the “crazy” requirement that law firms have to go through multiple notification processes to nominate the same people as compliance officers for affiliated entities is in sight as one of the first changes flowing from the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s ‘red tape challenge’.
Tags: COFA, COLP, compliance officer for finance and administration, compliance officer for legal practice, Solicitors Regulation Authority
Posted in Latest news, Solicitors
Fire and brimstone
Thursday, 15 November 2012It has been a week of strong words. First of all we had Bar Council chairman Michael Todd QC sounding off about the Legal Services Board, and then on Tuesday Solicitors Regulation Authority chairman Charles Plant was uncompromising about his view of the “small but significant” number of solicitors who are not good enough to be in practice. Let’s start with Mr Plant, who does like to drop the occasional grenade to liven things up. In some ways it is hardly controversial to suggest that out of nearly 130,000 practising solicitors, there are some bad apples – but the problem appears a lot bigger than that.
Tags: Bar Council, COFA, COLP, compliance officer for finance and administration, compliance officer for legal practice, Legal Services Board, Solicitors Regulation Authority
Posted in Blog
Exclusive: SRA chairman says too many solicitors are "simply not good enough"
Wednesday, 14 November 2012There are too many solicitors in England and Wales “who are simply not good enough”, the chairman of the Solicitors Regulation Authority claimed yesterday. He told the 500 firms yet to nominate COLPs that “enough is enough” – they face having their right to practise withdrawn.
Tags: COFA, COLP, compliance officer for finance and administration, compliance officer for legal practice, Law Society, legal education and training review, legal practice course, Legal Services Board, LETR, outcomes-focused regulation, Solicitors Regulation Authority
Posted in Latest news, Solicitors
SRA warns firms and solicitors: co-operate or else
Friday, 19 October 2012The Solicitors Regulation Authority sent out a strong message yesterday that firms which fail to co-operate with it will face tough action. It also emerged that the SRA is set to share details of the risks it considers law firms face with their COLPs and COFAs.
Tags: COFA, COLP, compliance officer for finance and administration, compliance officer for legal practice, Solicitors Regulation Authority, supervision
Posted in Latest news, Solicitors
The nitty gritty
Wednesday, 17 October 2012When it comes to processes and formal audits, the natural tendency for anyone is to put off analysing and understanding what you do and don’t do, until you really have to. That’s the point of deadlines, right? Well, compliance controls are designed so that they are a permanent part of operating culture, not just when you stand by your beds for inspection. This is certainly the case for the requirements under the SRA Handbook revision and cannot be taken lightly.
Tags: Client care, COFA, compliance, compliance officer for finance and administration
Posted in Blog
Hundreds of firms face SRA enforcement action over COLP and COFA failure
Wednesday, 26 September 2012Hundreds of law firms that have yet to nominate their compliance officers could soon face enforcement action, the SRA has warned. Separately the SRA is to conduct visits to 100 random law firms to check on their compliance with equality and diversity rules, while more than 10,000 solicitors have registered their intention to join QASA.
Tags: COFA, COLP, compliance officer for finance and administration, compliance officer for legal practice, equality and diversity, QASA, Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates, Solicitors Regulation Authority
Posted in Latest news, Solicitors
The 'chosen ones' get answers at COLP seminar
Wednesday, 12 September 2012Proportionality and preparation were the key messages for the legal sector at a Manchester seminar hosted by Weightmans and accountancy firm HURST this week for those lawyers in the COLP hotseat.
Tags: COFA, COLP, compliance officer for finance and administration, compliance officer for legal practice
Posted in associate news
Compliance officer failures bolster SRA bid for automatic fining powers
Thursday, 6 September 2012The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to seek powers to levy automatic fines for breaches of its rules to avoid a repeat of the embarrassment caused by hundreds of law firms failing to nominate compliance officers on time.
Tags: COFA, COLP, compliance officer for finance and administration, compliance officer for legal practice, Solicitors Regulation Authority
Posted in Latest news, Solicitors
Hundreds of firms fail to meet COLP/COFA nomination deadline
Wednesday, 1 August 2012Around 750 law firms have failed to meet the 31 July deadline for nominating their compliance officers, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has reported. More than 93% of firms have completed or nearly completed the process.
Tags: COFA, COLP, compliance officer for finance and administration, compliance officer for legal practice, Solicitors Regulation Authority
Posted in Latest news, Solicitors