UK solicitors watchdog says it will not tell law firms to drop Russian clients March 18, 2022 The UK solicitors’ watchdog has said it will not tell law firms to drop Russian clients. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) said its “general position is that firms can choose who they act for,” as it said the issue is “highly unlikely to be a regulatory matter.” “The current situation with the conflict in Ukraine [...]
‘Panicked’ solicitor struck off after she hid complaint and sent false email March 17, 2022 A “panicked” solicitor has been struck off the register and told to pay £11,400 after she hid a complaint from her company’s compliance officer and then emailed the client pretending to be her firm’s compliance officer. Elizabeth Nedin, a solicitor at Welsh law firm Philip Avery & Co, intercepted emails complaining about her conduct, and [...]
Explainer: What is the Economic Crime Act and how will it help the government tackle oligarchs? March 17, 2022 The government’s Economic Crime Bill, which gives the UK new powers to tackle oligarchs, has gained Royal Assent after being fast tracked through parliament. In a statement, the government said the new laws will make it easier for the government to “tackle corrupt elites” and crack down on “Putin’s cronies.” Notably, the law will require [...]
Dechert lawyers held ‘mock trial’ to help witnesses construct false cover story, court hears March 17, 2022 Lawyers in Dechert’s London office have been accused of holding meetings to come up with a “cover story” for how the firm obtained a cache of hacked emails that were used to win a lawsuit against Iranian airline tycoon Farhad Azima. A High Court heard that Neil Gerrard, Dechert’s former head of financial crime, put [...]
Roman Abramovich used ‘barrage’ of legal threats to silence journalist, MPs hear March 17, 2022 A prominent British journalist has said she received legal threats from Roman Abramovich after she published a book laying out the oligarch’s links to Vladimir Putin. Reuters journalist Catherine Belton told MPs she received a “barrage” of legal threats from Russian oligarchs, including sanctioned billionaire Roman Abramovich and Everton backer Alisher Usmanov, after she published [...]
UK government vows to crack down on use of ‘lawfare’ to silence ‘valid criticism’ March 17, 2022 The UK government is preparing to crack down on those using legal threats to intimidate journalists and silence the British press. Justice Secretary Dominic Raab will today set out plans to stop wealthy individuals and large businesses from “using the threat of endless legal action” to “stifle legitimate criticism”, the government said in a statement. [...]
Supreme Court ruling could lead to boom in flight refund solicitors, legal expert says March 16, 2022 The UK’s Supreme Court today said solicitors claiming refunds for delayed and cancelled flights have a right to claim any legal costs from clients. Legal experts speaking to City A.M. said the Supreme Court ruling, which allows law firms to cover their legal costs using refunded money, is likely to embolden solicitors and lead to [...]
Latham & Watkins brings in mental health counsellors to deal with employee burnout March 16, 2022 Los Angeles law firm Latham & Watkins has hired two mental health counsellors to work in its UK offices, amid mounting concerns around burnout in the legal sector. The California firm, which is one of the most profitable law firms in the world, has brought in two full time counsellors, with a view to offering [...]
Raab says barristers’ strike would be ‘totally unwarranted’ following legal aid reforms March 16, 2022 Justice secretary Dominic Raab has said it would be “totally unwarranted” for barristers to go forwards with strike action, after the Ministry of Justice said it would invest an extra £135m a year into criminal legal aid. The comments come after the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) said 94.34 per cent of criminal barristers had voted [...]
Exclusive: Most in-house lawyers are now working from the office March 15, 2022 The UK’s in-house lawyers are leading the return to the office, with almost half of Britain’s in-house lawyers now working from the office full time, according to the results of a poll shared exclusively with City A.M.. The majority of Britain’s in-house lawyers have now spend at least part of their time working in the [...]