Defending Solicitors' Rights To Practise
Jon Goodwin In June 2018, the Solicitors Regulation Authority published phase two of its Handbook reforms and a draft of the revised Handbook itself. The existing SRA Handbook is seen as complex and not particularly user-friendly – … 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
A recent article in the Law Society Gazette has stated the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has confirmed that it will ask this year whether the bar for finding solicitors guilty of misconduct should be lowered … Read More
Late last month, UK law firm Duncan Lewis alerted regulatory bodies and the National Crime Agency Action Fraud team that a data breach occurred in their firm. According to a report in the Law Society … Read More
Do many law graduates understand the true nature of working in a law firm? I know that when I was in the midst of my law exams, the pressure seemed unbearable at times. But nothing … Read More
In 2015, former Law Society council member Michael Webster was jailed for eight months after being found guilty of making five fraudulent transactions from his law firm’s client account to the value of £75,605.27. Mr … Read More
The level of honesty and integrity demanded by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is incredibly high. And the penalty for acting dishonestly or with a lack of integrity can end an otherwise promising legal career. … Read More
Thanks to efforts by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Ruby Wax, and Elon Musk , mental health, for long the poor relation of health services in Britain, is now being taken seriously. … Read More
In one telling scene from the opening episode of the BBC’s McMafia, Alex Godman, played by James McNorton, is asked how he might send funds to Mumbai “without leaving a trace”. His answer: by setting … Read More
The General Data Protection Rules (GDPR) come into force in less than four months. According to the latest statistics available, only 25% of over 150 legal sector IT decision-makers said their firms were GDPR ready … Read More
Many law firms rely on business being referred from other practices or other third parties. However, this practice is strictly monitored by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to ensure the best interests of the client … Read More
In October 2017, leading international firm, Appleby, admitted that in 2016 it had been the victim of a cyber-security breach which led to the Paradise Papers scandal. The firm, which advises corporations, high-net-worth individuals and … Read More
It was recently reported in the Law Society Gazette that a solicitor who had worked overseas for over a decade was unable to convince the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) to lift a suspension which would … Read More
In October’s Law Society Gazette, it was reported that City firm, Bates Wells Braithwaite, fell victim of an attempted cyber-fraud in which photographs and details of several of its lawyers were stolen and displayed on … Read More
In early 2015, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) banned a cleaner from working in a law firm without its permission. This situation followed on from a 2012 High Court decision against Murugan Gopalan (formerly known … Read More
The Solicitors Regulation Authority last month outlined plans to allow solicitors to practice on a freelance basis. They would not be required to register as a sole practitioner or be employed by a regulated firm. … Read More
An undertaking is a commitment by a solicitor to do something or not do something. Failing to comply with an undertaking can result in disciplinary action being taken by the Solicitors Regulation Authority SRA). The … Read More
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force in May 2018. Law firms that fail to prepare in time, so they can comply with the regulations on day one, risk facing the regulator’s wrath. … Read More
In a recent Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) hearing, it was ruled that a solicitor who backdated a document in a “blind panic” could continue working in the legal profession. Although this is a welcome decision, … Read More
A recent news report in the Law Society Gazette states that the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is intervening in more multi-office firms and has experienced a spike in the number of practices it has shut … Read More