Defending Solicitors' Rights To Practise
Jon Goodwin The role of the conveyancer is often underestimated. While under pressure from all sides to bring transactions to a successful conclusion, conveyancers must ensure that key issues are not mishandled or ignored, as doing so … Read More
On 25th November 2019, the new Solicitors (Disciplinary Proceedings) Rules 2019 (SDPR 2019) came into force. From the outset, it is important to note that for any matters certified as demonstrating a case to answer … Read More
Standards matter; of this there is little dispute, but when it comes to the development and management of land, real estate, construction and infrastructure, standards are vital to safety, economic sustainability, and health. As a … Read More
As of 2019, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW) has over 181,000 members , including students, across 148 countries. And this number is climbing at a higher rate than ever, with … Read More
In the UK, the Architects Act 1997 (AA 1997) provides for the regulation of the architects’ profession, with the Architects Registration Board (ARB) being responsible for its oversight. The ARB exists to: manage the UK … Read More
As part of their recent Looking to the Future programme, the SRA took the bold decision to significantly simplify and reduce the prescriptiveness of its Account Rules. The result of this effort is the replacement … Read More
An SRA intervention is the SRA’s nuclear weapon. If your firm is currently being investigated and you fear an intervention may be possible, you must take the situation seriously. An SRA intervention can destroy not … Read More
Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) have suddenly become controversial. The use of NDAs in the context of protecting sensitive commercial information and trade secrets continues to pose no immediate problem. However, solicitors instructed to produce a document … Read More
Fresh Attempt To Strengthen Client Protection Concerning Freelance Solicitors. The Law Society has recently asked the Legal Services Board (LSB) to impose extra requirements on solicitors who may otherwise be free to offer legal services … Read More
It is common practice for solicitors, upon spotting a mistake, to offer to rectify their error at the firm’s own expense. This is often a more cost-effective solution for the client than insisting they go … Read More
Law firms across the globe are becoming victims of ever-more sophisticated cybercrimes. In May 2019, two American law firms lost over £92,300 ($117,000), following a malware attack by an overseas cybercrime network. And in the … Read More
The safe and secure management of client files is a vital consideration for those in the legal sector. In the same manner as a medical professional, solicitor case files contain deeply sensitive, highly confidential personal, … Read More
Social media is undoubtedly one of the biggest phenomena of the past decade, affording us unprecedented access to the lives and opinions of others. Whether you love using social media, or actively avoid it, it … Read More
The legal profession is not for everyone; as with any occupation, there are particular characteristics which contribute to a successful career in law, and top grades at law school is not necessarily one of them. … Read More
Make no mistake, money laundering is a major global epidemic, involving sums of money potentially in the trillions of US dollars. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), money laundering is … Read More
Fortunately, not all Solicitors Regulation Authority investigations result in formal prosecution and an appearance in the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT). Depending on the circumstances, it may be possible to negotiate a Regulatory Settlement Agreement with … Read More
Various Claimants v WM Morrison Supermarkets Plc [2018] EWCA Civ 2339 Since the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) came into force in May 2018, much emphasis has been placed on protecting your organisation from external … Read More
Solicitors are often called on to deal with media enquiries. From commenting on a particular development of law to acting as a media representative of a client and their family, dealing with the press is … Read More
In October 2018, the High Court ordered a retrial after the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) found Francisco Rodriguez-Purcet, the former head of marketing and business development at a now-defunct law firm (Tandem Law), guilty of … Read More
The UK legal market has always been a bastion of robust regulation and oversight, but things are about to change drastically. Earlier in 2018, the SRA submitted plans to the Legal Services Board (LSB) aimed … Read More