Solicitor awarded £32,000 over anxiety during employment transfer – Law Society’s Gazette

‘A solicitor whose employment was transferred to another firm without notice or consultation has succeeded in a claim for constructive dismissal.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 10th November 2022

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Personal injury solicitor awarded £32,000 for unfair dismissal – Legal Futures

‘A personal injury solicitor who was transferred to a new law firm without notice or consultation has been awarded just under £32,000 in damages by an employment tribunal.’

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Legal Futures, 10th November 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Mothers in law still struggle to juggle despite more supportive employers – Legal Futures

Posted October 31st, 2022 in children, families, law firms, legal profession, news, statistics, women by tracey

‘The vast majority of mothers (84%) working in the law still find it difficult to balance working life with the demands of being a mother, despite some signs of progress.’

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Legal Futures, 31st October 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Belsner: Lawyers win in crucial costs recovery ruling – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 28th, 2022 in appeals, codes of practice, costs, damages, law firms, news, personal injuries, solicitors by tracey

‘Lawyers have won their appeal in a court ruling that will come as a massive relief across the personal injury market. Judges in the Court of Appeal ruled in Belsner v CAM Legal Services this morning that the firm’s personal injury client had made fair and reasonable deductions from her damages. The deductions were therefore lawful and did not need to be paid back.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 27th October 2022

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Only 90 of 13,000 partners at England and Wales law firms are Black – report – The Guardian

Posted October 19th, 2022 in diversity, equality, law firms, news, statistics by sally

‘Just 90 of more than 13,000 partners at major law firms in England and Wales are Black, according to a report, which says more must be done to address the underrepresentation.’

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The Guardian, 19th October 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Solicitor engaged in ‘pathological’ litigation handed civil restraint order – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 10th, 2022 in civil justice, injunctions, law firms, news, solicitors, vexatious litigants by tracey

‘A law firm has been barred by the High Court from making any further court applications for at least 18 months after failing to heed warnings to stop.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 7th October 2022

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

UK law firms banned from handling transactional work for Russians – Legal Futures

‘UK law firms will be unable to provide “transactional legal advisory services” to Russians after the government ratcheted up the sanctions regime yet further.’

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Legal Futures, 3rd October 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Playboy club dancer was not employed by firm, tribunal finds – Law Society Gazette

‘A nightclub dancer offered work by a consultant solicitor was not employed by his firm, an employment tribunal has ruled. The now-deceased solicitor, referred to only as AD, had approached the woman at the club and offered her a job as his personal secretary. She had a young son and was studying part-time for a graduate diploma in law.’

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Law Society Gazette, 30th September 2022

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

SRA fines firm with “failing” anti-money laundering controls – Legal Futures

Posted September 28th, 2022 in fines, law firms, money laundering, news, solicitors, Solicitors Regulation Authority by sally

‘A law firm with a “failing” anti-money laundering (AML) control environment, leading to multiple rule breaches, has been fined £2,000 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).’

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Legal Futures, 27th September 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Unbundling has potential to improve access to justice – and clients – Legal Futures

Posted September 14th, 2022 in law firms, legal services, news, solicitors, Solicitors Regulation Authority by tracey

‘Unbundling has the potential to increase access to justice and help firms attract new clients, but awareness among lawyers and consumers is low, research by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has found.’

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Legal Futures, 14th September 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Ex-director given another chance to appeal eight-year-old ET judgment – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The High Court has granted more time for a former law firm director to challenge a coruscating judgment against her more than eight years after it was handed down.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 2nd September 2022

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Firm fails in bid for injunction to stop use of letter it disclosed in error – Legal Futures

Posted August 26th, 2022 in disclosure, evidence, expert witnesses, injunctions, law firms, news, privilege by tracey

‘The High Court has refused a leading law firm an injunction to stop an opposing party making a use of a document it disclosed by mistake that cast doubt on an expert’s independence.’

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Legal Futures, 26th August 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Firm predicts 1,000 clients may join gender identity clinic claim – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Lawyers leading a claim against a gender identity clinic said there could be as many as 1,000 clients who join the action.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 12th August 2022

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Fine for partners over years of multiple accounts rules breaches – Legal Futures

‘Two partners at a former London firm have been fined a total of £25,000 for an improper transfer of a client’s funds and allowing more than 1,700 matters to go stale, among other accounts rules breaches.’

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Legal Futures, 12th August 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Solicitors’ agents and rights of audience – appeal decision – Nearly Legal

‘This is an issue that has come up here a few times (eg this post and this post) – the rights of audience of people who do not have a right of audience in their own right, but attend hearings to carry out advocacy. Now we have a County Court detailed appeal decision on the issue (not binding, but as an appeal to a circuit judge, of persuasive value).’

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Nearly Legal, 7th August 2022

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Claim against law firm lost by court still thrown out for late service – Legal Futures

Posted August 8th, 2022 in law firms, negligence, news, service, time limits by tracey

‘The High Court has upheld a decision to throw out a negligence claim against a law firm because it was served too late – even though the court had actually lost the claim.’

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Legal Futures, 8th August 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Claim against solicitors was attempt to relitigate private prosecution – Legal Futures

‘A professional negligence claim against a firm of solicitors in the North-East has been thrown out as an attempt to relitigate an unsuccessful private prosecution.’

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Legal Futures, 3rd August 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

High Court upholds ruling that $3m CFA is unforceable – Legal Futures

Posted August 2nd, 2022 in agreements, enforcement, fees, law firms, news, repayment by tracey

‘The High Court has upheld a decision that a law firm which charged its client nearly $3m under an unenforceable conditional fee agreement (CFA) has to repay the money.’

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Legal Futures, 2nd August 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

High Court ruling a warning to lawyers who ‘shoehorn’ claimants into class actions – OUT-LAW.com

‘Lawyers must take note of a court’s refusal to allow multiple claimants with widely differing claims to use a single claim form, a legal expert has warned.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 27th July 2022

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

Unreasonable refusal to engage with ADR – Law Society’s Gazette

‘In Richards & Anor v Speechly Bircham LLP & Anor (Consequential Matters) [2022] EWHC 1512 (Comm) HHJ Russen QC (sitting as a judge of the High Court) considered, inter alia, the most appropriate costs order to be imposed on the unsuccessful defendant law firm for refusing to consider and engage in mediation. He concluded, wrongly in my view, that a failure to mediate did not justify an order for costs on an indemnity basis.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 22nd July 2022

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk