Grenfell solicitor wins unfair dismissal claim over redundancy – Legal Futures

‘A solicitor made redundant after her work on the Grenfell Tower disaster ended has won a claim for unfair dismissal because her law firm did not properly consider another role for her.’

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Legal Futures, 3rd January 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

SRA issues first fixed penalty fine for diversity data failure – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has handed out the first fixed penalty fine for a law firm’s failure to submit its workforce diversity data within the deadline.’

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Legal Futures, 3rd January 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

SRA admits it has “a long way to go” on diversity – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) still has “a long way to go” on diversity, its chief executive has said – although its gender and ethnicity pay gaps are shrinking.’

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Legal Futures, 13th December 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Some lawyers’ conduct poses “significant risk to the rule of law” – Legal Futures

Posted December 1st, 2023 in barristers, legal profession, news, rule of law, solicitors by tracey

‘Lawyers can sometimes be “too inclined” to act unethically or use a “mistaken” adherence to an overly narrow view of the rule of law to justify questionable conduct, major new research has said.’

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Legal Futures, 1st December 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

“Shamelessness” of SLAPPs has grown “but still no disciplinary action” – Legal Futures

‘The number and “shamelessness” of SLAPPs has grown but there has been no disciplinary action taken against the lawyers responsible for how they are run, a major conference was told yesterday.’

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Legal Futures, 28th November 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Leading firm fined £101,000 for anti-money laundering failures – Legal Futures

Posted November 27th, 2023 in fines, law firms, money laundering, news, solicitors, Solicitors Regulation Authority by tracey

‘A leading South-West law firm has been fined £101,357 for failing to act over money laundering red flags on three property transactions, two of which may have involved a sanctioned entity.’

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Legal Futures, 27th November 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Solicitors Regulation Authority wins appeal against Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal costs order – Law Society’s Gazette

‘A judge has overruled the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal’s decision to slash the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s costs claim in a strike-off case. The regulator had sought £22,800 in the case last January but the tribunal awarded only £5,000.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 27th November 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Solicitor accepts “substantial damages” over Times libel – Legal Futures

Posted November 23rd, 2023 in compensation, defamation, media, news, solicitors by sally

‘A solicitor whose political ambitions were derailed by a libellous article about his legal work for miners has accepted “substantial” damages from The Times.’

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Legal Futures, 23rd November 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Consolidation of legal regulators “may be a good thing” – Legal Futures

‘Consolidation of legal regulators “may be a good thing” if designed to achieve “the pulling together of knowledge, lessons, consumer research and engagement”, the Legal Services Consumer Panel has said.’

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Legal Futures, 22nd November 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

SRA issues report on opportunities and risks of AI – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority has set out its views on the opportunities – and risks – presented by artificial intelligence (AI).’

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Local Government Lawyer, 21st November 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Severance Denied: Diag Human v Volterra Fietta [; A Potential Public Policy Warning for Litigation Funders – Gatehouse Chambers

Posted November 21st, 2023 in agreements, chambers articles, champerty, enforcement, fees, news, remuneration, solicitors by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has held that the severance of terms rendering a CFA unenforceable was not available to solicitors on public policy grounds and that consequently their clients were entitled to the return of sums paid on account. The decision in Diag Human v Volterra Fietta will ring alarm bells for litigation funders who might be contemplating launching similar arguments as a consequence of the Supreme Court’s decision in R (on the application of PACCAR) v Competition Appeal Tribunal.’

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Gatehouse Chambers, 10th October 2023

Source: gatehouselaw.co.uk

Safeguarding vulnerable clients: Guidance on best practice in England and Wales – Mills & Reeve

‘A recent case heard by the Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal has highlighted the complexities around how solicitors interact with vulnerable clients, particularly in matters involving conflicts of interest, mental capacity, and undue influence. This case offers an opportunity for some cross-border analysis between England and Wales and consideration of what best practice looks like in such a situation.’

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Mills & Reeve, 20th November 2023

Source: www.mills-reeve.com

SRA appeals ‘astonishing’ £5,000 tribunal costs order – Law Society’s Gazette

‘A Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal costs order of £5,000 was appealed today in the first such challenge by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Describing the order as ‘astonishing’, the SRA said the correct figure should have been £18,500.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 9th November 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

BBC documentary about Brink’s-Mat robbery misrepresented lawyer, says Ofcom – The Independent

Posted November 8th, 2023 in BBC, misrepresentation, news, ombudsmen, robbery, solicitors, tax avoidance by sally

‘A critic of tax havens who featured in a BBC documentary about the Brink’s-Mat gold bullion robbery was misrepresented, according to Ofcom.’

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The Independent, 7th November 2023

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Court rejects ‘fishing expedition’ for firm’s call recording – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 6th, 2023 in costs, disclosure, fees, law firms, news, solicitors, telecommunications by tracey

‘A costs judge has refused a former client’s plea for a recording of the call where they signed up to instruct a law firm. In Turner v Coupland Cavendish, Costs Judge Rowley said the call recording remained the solicitors’ property rather than the client’s and did not need to be disclosed.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 6th November 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

From costs to validating advice – litigators see role for AI – Legal Futures

Posted November 3rd, 2023 in artificial intelligence, costs, law firms, legal services, news, solicitors by tracey

‘Artificial intelligence (AI) will have multiple uses for litigators, including helping with costs budgeting and validating advice to clients, a leading partner at Eversheds Sutherland has predicted.’

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Legal Futures, 3rd November 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Firm wins challenge to legal aid out of time reduction – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 3rd, 2023 in delay, fees, law firms, legal aid, news, solicitors, time limits by tracey

‘A firm has successfully challenged a 20% late-submission penalty to a legal aid settlement.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 3rd November 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Nigeria wins arbitration award fight against P&ID as judgment referred to regulators over lawyers’ conduct – Law Society’s Gazette

‘A High Court judgment naming lawyers involved in an arbitration award under which Nigeria was ordered to pay a sum equal to its entire federal budget is to be sent to legal regulators, a judge ordered today.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 23rd October 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Adaptable lawyers will thrive in an AI world, judge says – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 23rd, 2023 in artificial intelligence, costs, news, solicitors by tracey

‘Costs lawyers will still have work to do in an AI-dominated world – but they must be willing to retrain and adapt to take advantage of the opportunities available.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 20th October 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Are there any circumstances in which professional indemnity insurers will indemnify insured persons in respect of a loss of fees? – Hailsham Chambers

Posted October 19th, 2023 in chambers articles, fees, indemnities, insurance, news, Northern Ireland, solicitors by sally

‘This was the broad question which confronted the Court of Appeal in RSA v. Tughans [2023] EWCA Civ 999, and the unanimous answer was Yes. The case is of interest both because of the result and because of the importance accorded by the Court to the policy underlying compulsion on professionals to have at least a specified minimum level of professional indemnity insurance.’

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Hailsham Chambers, 4th September 2023

Source: www.hailshamchambers.com