High Court upholds wasted costs order against law firm – Legal Futures

‘A circuit judge was entitled to make a wasted costs order against a firm of solicitors that failed to translate their client’s statement and pleadings for use at trial, the High Court has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 18th March 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Court of Appeal delivers boost for claimant lawyers on costs principle – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 18th, 2024 in appeals, case management, costs, damages, law firms, news, personal injuries, solicitors by tracey

‘Claimant lawyers will breath a sigh of relief today after the Court of Appeal ruled that costs of attending rehabilitation case management meetings could in principle be recovered.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 15th March 2024

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Solicitor jailed after falling for scam loses appeal against sentence – Legal Futures

Posted March 13th, 2024 in appeals, fraud, imprisonment, law firms, news, sentencing, solicitors by sally

‘The former senior partner of a Norfolk law firm, jailed for four years last September for fraud, has failed in his appeal against sentence.’

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Legal Futures, 13th March 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

SDT dismisses case against Dentons as SRA left with costs bill – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The solicitors’ regulator has suffered a major setback with its prosecution of the world’s biggest firm amounting effectively to nothing.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 11th March 2024

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Apathy and ignorance around legal ethics ‘root causes’ of misconduct – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 11th, 2024 in law firms, legal education, legal profession, news, professional conduct by tracey

‘Lawyers’ lack of interest in ethics may be fuelling an increase in rogue behaviour in the profession, an academic expert on the legal profession has suggested. Professor Richard Moorhead told a conference of lawyers yesterday that “apathy” and “ignorance” were a “root cause” of unethical behaviours that have manifested in issues such as the Post Office scandal.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 8th March 2024

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

‘Abusive’ conspiracy claim against top firms and lawyers thrown out – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 5th, 2024 in conspiracy, fraud, law firms, news by tracey

‘A litigant in person who alleged a conspiracy between two leading firms and a string of lawyers has had his claims thrown out by the High Court.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 5th March 2024

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Three-partner firm slapped with £23k fine for AML oversights – Law Society’s Gazette

‘A firm operating from two small offices in the south west has been hit with a £23,000 fine for failing to comply with money laundering regulations.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 4th March 2024

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Students think they need connections to progress legal career – Legal Futures

Posted February 28th, 2024 in diversity, equality, law firms, mental health, news, solicitors, statistics, universities by sally

‘A significant number of students think nepotism and connections are important to progress in the law, according to research which found that this did indeed help some get jobs.’

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Legal Futures, 28th February 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

SDT rules that solicitor posted antisemitic tweets – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) yesterday upheld allegations that a solicitor published antisemitic and offensive posts on social media and also abused Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) staff.’

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Legal Futures, 21st February 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Barrister and part-time judge convicted of legal aid fraud – Legal Futures

Posted February 16th, 2024 in barristers, costs, fees, fraud, imprisonment, law firms, legal aid, news, sentencing, solicitors by sally

‘A barrister and part-time immigration tribunal judge has become the last of a group of lawyers found guilty of defrauding the Legal Aid Agency by falsely claiming defence legal costs.’

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Legal Futures, 16th February 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

New ICO certification for lawyers gives “certainty” on data processing – Legal Futures

Posted February 14th, 2024 in data protection, law firms, news by sally

‘The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has approved a certification scheme which it says will provide law firms, chambers and others with “certainty” when processing personal data.’

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Legal Futures, 14th February 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Future of compensation fund in question as SRA begins consumer review – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The vexed question of how to protect the public without unfairly burdening regulated solicitors is at the centre of a review of consumer protection announced by the Solicitors Regulation Authority today.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 5th February 2024

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Collapsed SSB “faces up to 1,400 negligence claims” – Legal Futures

Posted January 31st, 2024 in costs, insolvency, insurance, law firms, negligence, news by tracey

‘Consumer claims firm SSB Law, which went into administration earlier this month owing six litigation funders £200m, faces up to 1,400 professional negligence claims, it has emerged.’

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Legal Futures, 31st January 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Law firm “let down” client over bid to propound will, master rules – Legal Futures

Posted January 31st, 2024 in delay, law firms, news, probate, wills by tracey

‘A daughter seeking to propound a copy of her deceased mother’s will has been “let down” by her solicitors in failing to comply with an unless order to issue proceedings, the High Court has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 31st January 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Patent ‘secret commissions’ group claim set for trial – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 23rd, 2024 in class actions, intellectual property, law firms, news, patents by tracey

‘Allegations that intellectual property law firms earn millions of pounds a year in commissions secretly paid by patent renewal businesses are to be tested in a group claim following a Court of Appeal decision.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 22nd January 2024

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

CA allows representative action against IP law firm to go ahead – Legal Futures

Posted January 19th, 2024 in appeals, class actions, compensation, intellectual property, law firms, news by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has given the green light to a representative action against IP law firm Marks & Clerk (M&C) that alleges it “grossly overcharged” thousands of small businesses by operating a “secret commissions scheme” with IP management business CPA Global.’

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Legal Futures, 19th January 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

SRA issues first fixed penalty fine for compliance officer rule breach – Legal Futures

‘A law firm in the North-East has become the first to receive a fixed penalty fine for not updating the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) on information about a compliance officer.’

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Legal Futures, 12th January 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Were lawyers complicit in Post Office’s corporate governance failures? – Legal Futures

‘A solicitor who acted for three wrongly convicted sub-postmasters has questioned whether lawyers advising the Post Office’s board were more motivated by continuing the retainers than giving proper guidance.’

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Legal Futures, 8th January 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Tribunal doubles costs award against “unreasonable” CIty firm staffer – Legal Futures

‘A former employee of City giant Hogan Lovells tried to cause “maximum disruption” to the law firm in bringing employment tribunal proceedings, “perhaps as some form of revenge for his dismissal”, a judge has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 5th January 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Grenfell solicitor wins unfair dismissal claim over redundancy – Legal Futures

‘A solicitor made redundant after her work on the Grenfell Tower disaster ended has won a claim for unfair dismissal because her law firm did not properly consider another role for her.’

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Legal Futures, 3rd January 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk