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.’

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Legal Futures, 13th January 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

High Court judge condemns Leigh Day claimants for “deliberate disregard” of court order in £50m+ costs battle – Litigation Futures

Posted January 12th, 2017 in budgets, costs, expert witnesses, law firms, news by tracey

‘A High Court judge has “unequivocally” condemned claimants represented by group litigation specialists Leigh Day for “deliberate disregard of a court order” in a case where the costs of both sides were estimated at well over £50m.’

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litigation Futures, 10th January 2017

Source: www.litigationfutures.co.uk

SRA ordered to disclose report into law firm investigation – Legal Futures

‘The Law Society’s freedom of information adjudicator has ordered the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to disclose an investigator’s report, saying the regulator had overlooked “the public interest in transparency as a good in itself”.’

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Legal Futures, 5th January 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Demand for free legal advice spiralling upwards, charity reports – Legal Futures

Posted December 20th, 2016 in families, law centres, law firms, news, pro bono work, reports by sally

‘There is fast-growing growing demand for free legal advice, with family law now the most requested area of law, according to the experience of LawWorks, the solicitors’ national pro bono charity.’

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Legal Futures, 19th December 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

CMA final report: demand for better price and service transparency from law firms, and review of legal regulation – Legal Futures

Posted December 15th, 2016 in competition, law firms, legal services, press releases, reports by tracey

‘Regulators need to deliver a “step change in standards of transparency” so that lawyers’ clients can both understand the price and service they will receive, and compare providers, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said today.’

Full story

Full CMA press release

Legal Futures, 15th December 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Hackathon app “will help LGBT people report persecution safely” – Legal Futures

Posted December 13th, 2016 in computer programs, harassment, hate crime, homosexuality, internet, law firms, news, victims by sally

Lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) people around the world will be able to report incidents of persecution to international lawyers stealthily through everyday social media, after a hackathon backed by some of the largest UK law firms devised an app.

Full story

Legal Futures, 13th December 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

New legal aid ‘advice deserts’ emerge – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted December 12th, 2016 in housing, law centres, law firms, legal aid, news by sally

‘Further evidence of the problem of legal aid ‘advice deserts’ has emerged with a new government attempt to plug holes in the provision of housing and debt services.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 9th December 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Bar’s entity regulation “better and cheaper”, claims solicitor – Legal Futures

‘Bar Standards Board (BSB) entity regulation is “significantly cheaper and simpler” for sole practitioners and better for clients, according to a solicitor whose start-up law firm is to be regulated by the BSB.’

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Legal Futures, 29th November 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Costs ordered against party that ignored efforts to discuss expert evidence – Litigation Futures

Posted November 23rd, 2016 in costs, expert witnesses, law firms, news by tracey

‘Defendants who failed to engage in discussions about expert evidence, leading to the claimants having to go back to court, have been ordered to pay the costs of the hearing.’

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Litigation Futures, 23rd November 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Litigants to pay £15k costs after ignoring letters from other side – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 22nd, 2016 in costs, expert witnesses, law firms, news by sally

‘The High Court has ordered litigants who ignored correspondence from the other side to pay for the resulting costs. Chief Master Marsh, sitting in the Chancery Division, said it was ‘unacceptable’ for defendants in a patent case to simply ignore letters and proceed without proper engagement.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 18th November 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Court of Appeal upholds injunction stopping Dechert from acting for two parties to case – Litigation Futures

‘The Court of Appeal has upheld an injunction that international law firm Dechert has to cease acting for the principal creditor of a Russian businessman because it is also acting for his trustees in bankruptcy and has access to thousands of documents that are covered by legal professional privilege.’

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Litigation Futures, 21st November 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.co.uk

CA upholds refusal to grant relief to solicitors who served witness statements late – Litigation Futures

Posted November 15th, 2016 in appeals, civil procedure rules, law firms, news, sanctions, solicitors, time limits, witnesses by tracey

‘Solicitors who served witness statements two months late cannot call any witnesses at trial after the Court of Appeal upheld the first instance judge’s decision to refuse relief from sanctions.’

Full story

Litigation futures, 14th November 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Government confirms civil and criminal tax investigations following ‘Panama Papers’ leaks – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 10th, 2016 in law firms, news, tax evasion by sally

‘A special taskforce set up following the ‘Panama Papers’ leaks has opened civil and criminal investigations into suspected tax fraud or financial wrongdoing by more than 30 individuals and companies, the government has announced.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 10th November 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

Promises about one’s principal: breach of warranty of authority and the case of P&P Property Ltd v Owen White & Catlin LLP – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted November 10th, 2016 in fraud, law firms, negligence, news, warranties by sally

‘If a solicitor executes a contract to sell “1 The Mall” that identifies the seller as “Mr Bloggs of 1 The Mall” (Mr Bloggs being the registered proprietor of that property), does the solicitor thereby promise to the buyer:

1. that she has authority to sell the property from the actual Mr Bloggs, the true owner of 1 The Mall? Or
2. that her client was someone who told her he was Mr Bloggs and that he owned 1 The Mall?’

Full story

Hardwicke Chambers, 4th November 2016

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Time to take competence seriously as new CPD regime kicks off – Legal Futures

Posted November 1st, 2016 in continuing professional development, law firms, news, solicitors by sally

‘Law firms are being encouraged to get their act together now and come to terms with the new continuing professional development (CPD) regime for solicitors, which comes into force today.’

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Legal Futures, 1st November 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Supreme Court upholds clause excluding professional indemnity cover for commercial arrangements – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 27th, 2016 in appeals, contracts, insurance, law firms, legal services, news, solicitors, Supreme Court by sally

‘Loans provided to the clients of a firm of solicitors by a third party funder were not ‘legal services’, and so were not covered by the terms of the firm’s professional indemnity (PI) policy, the UK’s highest court has ruled.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 26th October 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

High Court bids to minimise delay in bitter costs dispute between solicitors – Litigation Futures

Posted October 25th, 2016 in civil procedure rules, costs, delay, law firms, news, solicitors by michael

‘A High Court master has rejected an application from a Leicestershire solicitor for trial of a preliminary issue in a costs claim involving another law firm, citing the “high degree of personal animosity between the parties”.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 18th October 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Jail again for fraudulent ex-solicitor who hijacked law firm’s identity – Legal Futures

Posted October 25th, 2016 in costs, fraud, identity fraud, law firms, news, recidivists, sentencing, solicitors by michael

‘An ex-solicitor has been found guilty and jailed for five years for five counts of fraud by false representation – his second spell in jail for fraud after he previously stole from his firm’s client account’

Full story

Legal Future, 21st October 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Top law firm accused of ‘taking the p—‘ after telling lawyers to charge clients for time spent on toilet – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 10th, 2016 in fees, law firms, news by sally

‘Lawyers at a top international firm were told to charge clients even when they were taking toilet breaks – because they would still be thinking about work.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 7th October 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk