Defending Solicitors' Rights To Practise
In recent years, there have been numerous cases and reports of law practitioners in the UK who have experienced toxic workplaces, bullying, harassment, intimidation, and pressure to work excessive hours. Back in 2020, Tiernan Brady, … Read More
In November 2021, the SRA announced proposals to significantly hike its fining powers in addition to a new ‘fast-track’ system for fixed penalties for lesser breaches of its rules. This is not the first time … Read More
For many years now, we have been writing about how some UK law firms have struggled to stamp out money laundering and the ever-increasing pressure being imposed by the SRA on law professionals to do … Read More
While it is never possible to predict with 100% accuracy what will happen to the UK’s legal market in the coming year, by projecting ahead as much as possible, you can ensure your legal practice … Read More
In what should be a wake-up call, in its recent ‘Regulatory Decision-making Annual Report 2020/21’, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) highlighted a considerable rise in the number of complaints being received regarding Barristers. This includes … Read More
As we come to the end of 2021 and look forward to 2022, there is no doubt that the UK’s legal industry is on the edge of a digital transformation, and this appears to be … Read More
At the recent Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, Justice Secretary Dominic Raab left little doubt that he has the Human Rights Act 1998 in his sights for reform; he told the conference, “It is absolutely … Read More
In its ongoing strive to modernise the legal sector, the SRA has recently undergone a fresh drive to encourage law firms to offer ‘unbundled services’ with the Regulator unveiling plans for a pilot scheme to … Read More
So what should you do if the SRA starts an investigation against you or your firm? If you understand the investigatory process and have well organised files and detailed client and firm accounts, then with … Read More
For any legal professional facing disciplinary proceedings by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT), it is important to understand the process and rules they follow. In 2019, to make the SDT rules and procedures clearer, especially … Read More
On 21 January 2021, in what the SRA referred to as a “clamp down”, they announced they had already disciplined nine law firms for not adhering to rules on transparency. It appears this clamp down … Read More
In the digital age, our actions, thoughts, and feelings are there for all to see on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat. Employers are routinely scouring social media accounts of prospective … Read More
With climate change becoming a more pressing issue for us all, it is likely that customers of the future will choose to work with businesses, including law firms, not just on their professional record but … Read More
When reading the Google reviews of many law firms it quickly becomes clear that significant numbers are fake and/or malicious. You can quickly tell this by the number of times law firms have to reply … Read More
Back in November 2016, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) removed the requirement for solicitors to count CPD hours and replaced this with a self-regulatory requirement for legal professionals. They advised legal practitioners to “reflect on … Read More
In a recent speech at the London International Disputes Week, Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls (“MR”) stated that online dispute resolution (ODR) was set to transform justice and lawyers must embrace the coming … Read More
Under the SRA Accounts Rules, law firms are required to “have systems and controls in place to ensure compliance with these rules [the SRA rules] and the nature of those systems must be appropriate to … Read More
A recent Thomson Reuters survey shows that two-thirds of UK lawyers believe working from home has improved their wellbeing. According to the responses, on average, lawyers would prefer to work from home (WFH) two days … Read More
If you have been investigated by the SRA and the matter has been referred to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) it is imperative that you instruct an experienced SRA and SDT defence solicitor. This is … Read More
At the beginning of March, Chancellor, Rishi Sunak announced in his Spring Budget that £100 million is to be set aside to form a Taxpayer Protection Taskforce. A team of 1,250 HMRC officials will be … Read More