SRA attacks “disproportionate and unnecessary” money laundering regulations – Legal Futures

‘New anti-money laundering (AML) regulations planned by the Treasury would impose “disproportionate and unnecessary” burdens on law firms, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 20th April 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Tribunal lays out Clyde & Co’s “glaring” failures – Legal Futures

‘The failures which led to a record fine for Clyde & Co were “particularly glaring” as it was “a large and, previously, reputable firm”, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has declared in approving the sanction.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 19th April 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Solicitor and firm fined in first criminal prosecution by Pensions Regulator – Legal Futures

Posted April 7th, 2017 in fines, law firms, news, pensions, prosecutions, solicitors by tracey

‘A solicitor and the firm where he is a partner have been ordered to pay more than £16,000 in fines and costs for refusing to give documents to The Pensions Regulator (TPR) which were required as part of a wider investigation.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 7th April 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Law firms to be banned from touting for business in hospitals – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 3rd, 2017 in costs, hospitals, law firms, negligence, news, personal injuries by sally

‘Law firms will no longer be able to tout for business inside hospitals under plans unveiled by the NHS.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 31st March 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Supreme Court clarifies distinction between ‘advice’ and ‘information’ negligence cases – OUT-LAW.com

Posted March 29th, 2017 in drafting, law firms, loans, mistake, negligence, news, Supreme Court by sally

‘A law firm that made a mistake when drafting a loan letter on its client’s instructions, and failing to draw critical information to his attention, was not liable to that client when the loan failed. The client would have made a loss on the loan in any event due to his commercial misjudgments, the UK’s highest court has ruled.

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 29th March 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Changes to insurance industry reducing work for their lawyers, research claims – Litigation Futures

Posted March 28th, 2017 in insurance, law firms, news, reports by sally

‘Virtually all law firms serving the insurance industry have lost business in recent years amid “a high level of disruption driven by major changes in the underwriting businesses they support”, new research has found.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 27th March 2017

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Supreme Court backs ‘straightforward’ interpretation of professional indemnity insurance terms – OUT-LAW.com

Posted March 23rd, 2017 in appeals, class actions, holidays, insurance, law firms, news, solicitors, Supreme Court by sally

‘The term ‘a series of related matters or transactions’ in a professional indemnity (PI) insurance policy merely requires some inter-connection between the matters or transactions, and not an ‘intrinsic’ relationship, the UK’s highest court has ruled.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 22nd March 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Supreme Court backs insurer’s bid to cap liability for multiple claims against law firm – Legal Futures

‘The Supreme Court has sided with a leading professional indemnity insurer in interpreting the rules that govern the way insurers can aggregate multiple claims against solicitors.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 22nd March 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Appeal court sends £4m solicitors’ negligence claim to trial – Legal Futures

Posted March 8th, 2017 in appeals, intellectual property, law firms, negligence, news, summary judgments by tracey

‘The Court of Appeal has overturned a ruling that gave a national law firm summary judgment in a case alleging that its negligence had caused a company to lose a £4m intellectual property licensing deal with a global engineering giant.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 8th March 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Accident victims “forced into rehab by greedy lawyers” – Litigation Futures

‘There are suggestions that some accident victims are being “forced into rehab” by lawyers and claims management companies determined to “boost their own incomes”, an independent report has found.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 22nd February 2017

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Moors murderer Ian Brady loses court fight over legal representation – The Guardian

Posted February 21st, 2017 in law firms, legal aid, legal representation, mental health, news by sally

‘Moors murderer Ian Brady has been refused permission to launch a high court battle to get a lawyer of his choice to represent him at a tribunal.’

Full story

The Guardian, 20th February 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

New CPD rules: how to implement them in your practice – The Future of Law

‘What is the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) new mandatory regime on continuing professional development (CPD) for solicitors? Nicola Jones, co-founder and director of Athena Professional and a learning for performance consultant, takes a look at the new rules and provides guidance on how firms can implement them into their practices.’

Full story

The Future of Law, 16th February 2017

Source: www.blogs.lexisnexis.co.uk

Law Society intervenes in high-stakes appeal over the ‘£400 club’ – Litigation Futures

Posted February 9th, 2017 in appeals, costs, fees, insurance, law firms, Law Society, news, pre-action conduct by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has invited the Law Society to intervene in a highly significant hearing this month in which insurers are trying to recover millions of pounds in RTA claims portal fees from claimant solicitors in the so-called ‘£400 club’.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 9th February 2017

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Iraq lawyer Phil Shiner struck off over misconduct – BBC News

‘A human rights lawyer who brought abuse claims against UK troops after the Iraq War has been struck off for misconduct.’

Full story

BBC News, 2nd February 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Phil Shiner’s legal firm ‘made £1.6m with improper fee deal over Iraq troop abuse claims’ – Daily Telegraph

‘A disgraced human rights lawyer accused of hounding British troops earned his firm more than £1.6m from an improper deal carving up fees from pursuing abuse claims against British troops, a tribunal has heard.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 31st February 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

FOI request suggests few criminal law ‘touting’ reports – Legal Futures

Posted January 31st, 2017 in complaints, freedom of information, law firms, news by sally

‘Eyebrows were raised yesterday after a freedom of information request on ‘touting’ by criminal defence law firms – in which agents for rival solicitors poach potential clients even if they have representation – suggested few complaints have been made to the regulator.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 31st January 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Publishing prices: SRA to start with divorce, wills, conveyancing and simple SME work – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is planning to require law firms to publish their fees for services such as divorce, wills or conveyancing, it has emerged.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 26th January 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Law Society warns solicitors may be damaged by Brexit – Legal Futures

Posted January 18th, 2017 in brexit, EC law, law firms, legal services, news, referendums, solicitors, treaties by sally

‘US law firms will have less incentive to employ UK-qualified lawyers as a way to access European markets and the UK solicitor title could become less desirable as a result of Brexit, the Law Society has warned.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 16th January 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Senior judge launches extraordinary attack over “blackmail” by solicitors and tells barristers to stop defending them – Legal Futures

Posted January 17th, 2017 in barristers, blackmail, immigration, judges, law firms, news, professional conduct, tribunals by tracey

‘A senior judge has accused solicitors of “blackmailing” the immigration tribunal in an extraordinary attack that also branded their conduct as “disgraceful” and “shameful” in not pursuing the appeals they had lodged.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 16th January 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Disciplinary round-up: fine for firm which failed to make client’s visa application and then lost his passport – Legal Futures

‘A north London law firm has been rebuked for misleading its client into thinking that it had made a visa application on his behalf.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 13th January 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk