Law firm unfairly dismissed “homophobic” secretary – Legal Futures

‘A law firm unfairly dismissed a legal secretary who made homophobic comments because of how it ran the disciplinary process, an employment tribunal has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 23rd March 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Negligence claim over law firm’s ground rent advice dismissed – Legal Futures

Posted March 17th, 2023 in conveyancing, law firms, leases, negligence, news by tracey

‘A circuit judge has dismissed a negligence claim over a London law firm’s alleged failure to give a client proper advice on a how much the ground rent would increase under a lease.’

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Legal Futures, 17th March 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

SRA wins approval to destroy 765,000 files from shut-down firms – Legal Futures

‘The High Court has given the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) permission to destroy immediately around 765,000 files it is storing after intervening in law firms in recent years.’

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Legal Futures, 3rd March 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

City law firms using diversity schemes for “reputation laundering” – Legal Futures

Posted March 1st, 2023 in diversity, equality, law firms, news, solicitors by sally

‘The efforts of City law firms to become more diverse and inclusive are a form of “reputation laundering”, offering only the “illusion of change”, an academic and diversity specialist has argued.’

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Legal Futures, 1st March 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

News focus: Are lawyers still breaching judgment embargoes? – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 20th, 2023 in appeals, barristers, contempt of court, disclosure, judgments, law firms, news, solicitors by tracey

‘Despite the master of the rolls’ clarion call for lawyers to respect judgment embargoes and a warning about possible contempt proceedings, high-profile breaches continue to happen.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 17th February 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Ask me anything – Allen & Overy adopts ChatGPT-style legal AI tool – Legal Futures

Posted February 16th, 2023 in artificial intelligence, law firms, legal services, news by sally

‘Global law firm Allen & Overy (A&O) has become the first law firm to adopt an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant similar to ChatGPT to help speed up the work of more than 3,500 lawyers, which could save the firm millions of pounds.’

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Legal Futures, 16th February 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Slips and SLAPPs – SRA review finds good level of compliance – Legal Futures

‘There is an increasing trend of firms threatening to report their opponents to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) as a litigation tactic, solicitors have told the regulator.’

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Legal Futures, 14th February 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Self-employed consultant was employee of firm under Equality Act – Legal Futures

‘A self-employed consultant at a law firm fell within the definition of an employee for the purposes of claims under the Equality Act 2010, an employment tribunal has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 13th February 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Beneficiary allowed to challenge firm’s fees after fourfold rise – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 13th, 2023 in costs, fees, law firms, news, solicitors, wills by tracey

‘The High Court has allowed a will beneficiary to challenge a costs bill which rose significantly from its original estimate.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 10th February 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

PI firm ‘first’ to offer pupillage for barristers – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 31st, 2023 in barristers, law firms, news, personal injuries, pupillage by tracey

‘A personal injury firm claims to have become the first of its kind to offer pupillage to aspiring barristers. North west firm Express Solicitors will hear applications for four pupillage positions in each of the next two years, and plans to increase this number in the future as caseloads increase.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 30th January 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Number of SRA investigations into SLAPPs continues to rise – Legal Futures

‘The number of law firms being investigated for possible misconduct relating to strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) has doubled since the summer to 40, the chief executive of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) revealed yesterday.’

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Legal Futures, 25th January 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Firm handed largest-ever fine for transparency rules non-compliance – Legal Futures

Posted January 20th, 2023 in fines, law firms, news, solicitors, Solicitors Regulation Authority by tracey

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has fined a law firm that did not comply with its transparency rules £3,500, the highest penalty it has issued for the offence.’

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Legal Futures, 20th January 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Government to give SRA power to demand more information from firms – Legal Futures

Posted January 19th, 2023 in bills, law firms, news, Solicitors Regulation Authority by tracey

‘The government is to extend the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) powers to demand information from solicitors and firms beyond money laundering matters to economic crime more generally.’

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Legal Futures, 19th January 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

SRA imposes record £20,000 fine for AML failings – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 19th, 2023 in fines, law firms, money laundering, news, Solicitors Regulation Authority by tracey

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority has fined a firm a record £20,000 for failing to have anti-money laundering training and systems in place.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 18th January 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

LawtechUK: Regulatory risks of AI “inhibiting law firm adoption” – Legal Futures

‘Hesitation about adopting artificial intelligence (AI) by law firms nervous of the risks presented by a regulatory grey area is causing a bottleneck that needs to be cleared, according to LawtechUK.’

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Legal Futures, 18th January 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Law firm fined record £20,000 for “reckless” AML breaches – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has fined an Oxfordshire law firm £20,000 after finding it “reckless” in failing to comply with the anti-money laundering (AML) requirements.’

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Legal Futures, 18th January 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

SRA sanctioned for wrongly publishing trainee’s ban – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has been sanctioned in costs after prematurely stating on its website that it had banned a former trainee solicitor from working for law firms.’

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Legal Futures, 16th January 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Solicitor can sue ex-firm for misuse of private WhatsApp messages – Legal Futures

‘A High Court master has rejected what he described as a law firm owner’s attempt to “stifle” a misuse of private information (MPI) claim by a junior solicitor he dismissed by applying to have her case struck out.’

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Legal Futures, 11th January 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Law firm did not discriminate against disabled paralegal – Legal Futures

‘An employment tribunal has rejected disability discrimination claims made against a Welsh law firm by a paralegal dismissed after just nine days for his poor timekeeping.’

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Legal Futures, 10th January 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Can the tables ever be turned: when can professionals sue their clients for breaching duties to them? by Helen Evans KC – 4 New Square Chambers

‘When professionals are sued, it’s not unusual for them to make an assertion that their clients were “up to something”, or to complain that they had provided wilfully misleading or incomplete instructions.’

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4 New Square Chambers, 7th December 2022

Source: www.4newsquare.com