Solicitor who raided client’s estate to pay debts is struck off – Legal Futures

‘A solicitor who used £100,000 from a client’s estate to pay debts to HM Revenue & Customs and an indemnity insurer before closing his firm has been struck off.’

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Legal Futures, 16th September 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

“Extremely drunk” senior partner touched and kissed paralegal – Legal Futures

‘The “extremely drunk” senior partner of a London law firm has been fined £10,000 for touching a paralegal on the bottom and kissing her on the neck while sitting next to her in a bar.’

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Legal Futures, 8th September 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Lawyers for XR to perform “arrestable action” outside SRA offices – Legal Futures

‘Lawyers for Extinction Rebellion (XR) will perform a “theatrical and arrestable action” outside the London office of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) today in a bid to push the regulator “to confirm or deny lawyers’ rights to engage in peaceful non-violent protest, without fear of losing their right to practise”.’

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Legal Futures, 4th September 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

LSB demands greater transparency on practising fees – Legal Futures

‘Legal regulators will have to explain more clearly how they spend their practising certificate fees (PCF) under revised rules proposed by the Legal Services Board (LSB).’

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Legal Futures, 14th August 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

City giant self-reports to SRA after trial streamed live on Zoom – Law Society’s Gazette

‘A City firm which disobeyed a court order and allowed a libel trial to be live streamed to clients abroad has reported itself to the regulator.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 7th August 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Top judge slates firm over trial live-stream breach – Legal Futures

‘The president of the Queen’s Bench Division has strongly criticised lawyers in the London office of US firm McDermott Will & Emery (MWE) after they allowed a trial to be live-streamed to observers outside the UK without the court’s permission.’

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Legal Futures, 7th August 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

SRA imposes ban on trainee solicitor jailed for rape – Legal Futures

‘A one-time trainee solicitor who violently raped one woman and attempted to rape another has been banned from the profession.’

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Legal Futures, 5th August 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Lawyers must be able to report “mini-bullying moments” – Legal Futures

‘Lawyers must be able to report “mini-bullying moments” without fear that things will “go nuclear”, the global director of inclusion at Clifford Chance has said.’

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Legal Futures, 31st July 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Number of complaints received by law firms on the rise – Legal Futures

‘There has been a 9% increase in the number of complaints to law firms last year, but they continue to resolve eight out of 10 themselves, according to official statistics.’

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Legal Futures, 31st July 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

New limits on compensation fund to save costs – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Maximum payments to clients of dishonest solicitors are to be slashed from £2m to £500,000 as part of measures to reduce the financial burden on the profession, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has announced.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 28th July 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Advocacy shake-up to hit trainees but not youth courts – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is to end the practice of allowing trainee solicitors to obtain higher rights of audience (HRA) but has reversed course on its proposed approach to advocacy in the youth courts.’

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Legal Futures, 28th July 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Immigration solicitors permanently banned from unregulated firms – Legal Futures

‘Solicitors handling immigration work can only do so from organisations overseen by a legal regulator or the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC), the Solicitors Regulation Authority has decided.’

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Legal Futures, 13th July 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

SRA to review regime for checking solicitors’ competence – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is to launch a review of its approach to solicitors’ continuing competence, it has emerged.’

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Legal Futures, 9th July 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Solicitor faked court documents to mislead client – Legal Futures

‘A solicitor has been struck off for falsifying court documents to make a client think his application to extend his leave to remain in the UK had been made before the leave had expired.’

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Legal Futures, 22nd June 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

SRA to launch project on BAME student underachievement – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is set to begin a multi-year project to increase understanding of why Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) students perform worse than white students.’

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Legal Futures, 19th June 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Regulation in the time of Coronavirus by Nicola Hoskins – Broadway House Chambers

‘At the moment, the phrase “business as usual” means anything but: business unusual, we might say. For some, it means a substantial part of the operation is running remotely; others are subject to extensive furloughs and others still will be seeing a downturn in demand or cashflow from which there may be no easy recovery. This is likely to be the case even as the restrictions begin to ease: social distancing and changes in consumer behaviour may result in remote working and smaller operations for some considerable time to come. Whatever the position, businesses will still be subject to regulatory oversight which may present more challenges than usual. This article will take a brief look at some of the key points, along with some practical considerations arising.’

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Broadway House Chambers, 8th June 2020

Source: broadwayhouse.co.uk

90% of law firms “breaching transparency rules” – Legal Futures

‘The news comes with the regulator planning to step up its checks.’

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Legal Futures, 15th June 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

EHRC urges compulsory disability training for lawyers – Legal Futures

‘Disability awareness should be a professional requirement, and a mandatory element of criminal lawyers’ CPD, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has recommended.’

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Legal Futures, 15th June 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Legal regulators cool on the idea of being abolished – Legal Futures

‘Legal regulators have reacted coolly to the recommendation of Professor Stephen Mayson that they be replaced by a single organisation, arguing instead the case for specialism.’

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Legal Futures, 12th June 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

SRA to press ahead with launch of SQE in autumn 2021 – Legal Futures

‘The Covid-19 crisis will not stop the introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) in September 2021, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has decided.’

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Legal Futures, 8th June 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk