Tag Results
News round-up: barrister jailed for chambers theft, another mySRA extension, and much more
Monday, 13 February 2012Our latest news round-up reports on a barrister jailed after stealing £72,500 from his chambers, more problems with the SRA’s online PC renewal system, surveys on fixed fees and compliance, and the appeal court upholding a ruling against a firm innocently caught up in mortgage fraud.
Tags: Barristers, compliance, fixed fees, fraud, mortgage fraud, practising certificate, Solicitors Regulation Authority
Posted in Competence, Indemnity insurance, Latest news, News In Brief, Solicitors
Pass the parcel: should you indemnify your COLP?
Monday, 13 February 2012Allison Wooddisse, head of LexisPSL Practice Compliance, looks at the whether and how law firms should indemnify COLPs against adverse consequences from taking on the role. Many COLPs are feeling jumpy but an indemnity is not as straightforward as it may appear.
Tags: COLP, compliance officer for legal practice, Solicitors Code of Conduct, Solicitors Regulation Authority
Posted in Features, Latest news
News round-up: SRA caution over HSBC undertaking, slowdown in law firm closures, and much more
Thursday, 9 February 2012Our latest news round-up cover the SRA’s view of HSBC’s conveyancing undertaking, a fall in the number of firms closing ahead of PII renewal, a warning over merger failures, the Co-op seeking legal apprentices, and key appointments at Irwin Mitchell, the Law Society and CIPA.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, assigned risks pool, Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys, Co-op, conveyancing, Law Society, mergers, professional indemnity insurance, Solicitors Regulation Authority
Posted in Latest news, News In Brief
Private equity keen on investing in the law, say both new Parabis owner and Irwin Mitchell
Wednesday, 8 February 2012Private equity firms are showing “considerable interest” in volume legal practices, the man behind Duke Street’s acquisition of the Parabis Group has said. The head of strategic projects at Irwin Mitchell claimed that most PE firms are considering investing in the law.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, private equity, Solicitors Regulation Authority, stock market listing
Posted in Alternative business structures, Latest news, Market monitor
Townsend: SRA surprised by high level of ABS applications
Tuesday, 7 February 2012The Solicitors Regulation Authority has so far received more alternative business structure applications than it expected, chief executive Antony Townsend admitted yesterday. He also suggested that there will in time be growing momentum towards consolidating the eight current legal regulators into one.
Tags: ABS, Alternative business structures, compliance officer for finance and administration, compliance officer for legal practice, Legal Services Board, Solicitors Regulation Authority
Posted in Alternative business structures, Latest news, Solicitors
Lawyers told: don’t be put off social media by barrister fined over tweets
Friday, 3 February 2012Lawyers were this week told not to be discouraged from embracing social media after a barrister who was among the legal pioneers on Twitter was fined for messages he posted on the service. However, the case does raise questions over the role of regulators in policing lawyers’ activity on Twitter.
Tags: bar standards board, social media, Solicitors Regulation Authority
Posted in Barristers, Latest news, Marketing & PR, Solicitors
SRA calls on government to provide more clarity over referral fee ban
Wednesday, 1 February 2012The government needs to provide further clarity and guidance on how the ban on referral fees will operate in practice, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has warned. Issues such as the definition of a referral fee need to be resolved.
Tags: Association of British Insurers, bar standards board, claims management companies, Financial Services Authority, Office of Fair Trading, personal injury, referral fees, Solicitors Regulation Authority
Posted in Latest news, Solicitors
Black lawyers reignite SRA race discrimination row
Thursday, 26 January 2012Around 15 claims of race discrimination against the Solicitors Regulation Authority will be launched shortly, arguing that it treats black and minority ethnic solicitors less favourably than white counterparts, the Society of Black Lawyers has claimed.
Tags: BME, equality and diversity, Solicitors Regulation Authority
Posted in Latest news, Solicitors
Common training and even regulation of solicitors and barristers on the cards, says Law Society chief
Wednesday, 25 January 2012The time is coming when the distinction between solicitors and barristers will be “more a matter of tribal culture than function”, the Law Society president has predicted, with common education, training and even potentially regulation on the agenda.
Tags: bar standards board, Barristers, direct access, ProcureCo, pupillage, Solicitors Regulation Authority
Posted in Barristers, Latest news, Solicitors
Jackson: should contingency fee lawyers be liable for defendant’s costs?
Monday, 23 January 2012Work is needed to determine whether solicitors who offer contingency fees could find themselves on the hook for a successful defendant’s costs, Lord Justice Jackson said last week. He said a working party might be needed to resolve outstanding issues.
Tags: contingency fees, Jackson report, Solicitors Regulation Authority
Posted in Latest news, Solicitors