Scarborough law firm fined over anti-money laundering failures November 1, 2022 The UK’s solicitors’ watchdog has fined Scarborough law firm Pinkney Grunwells Lawyers LLP £2,000 and ordered it to pay £600 in costs over its failure to put in place anti-money laundering (AML) provisions. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) said Pinkney Grunwells had been “reckless” in failing to heed multiple warnings over a three-year period over [...]
Solicitors’ watchdog fines Woking law firm £2,000 over money laundering failures September 27, 2022 The UK’s solicitors’ watchdog has fined Woking law firm Buglear Bate & Co £2,000 over claims it failed to put in place policies to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) fined the firm £2,000 and ordered it to pay £600 in costs after it admitted failing to comply with money [...]
Solicitors watchdog to crack down on SLAPP lawsuits, SRA chief says September 8, 2022 The head of the UK’s Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has vowed to crack down on the use of spurious lawsuits to silence legitimate criticism. In an article in The Times, SRA chief executive Paul Philip said the watchdog is “committed to cracking down” on law firms using so-called ‘strategic lawsuits against public participation’ (Slapps). The [...]
Solicitors watchdog to regulate after-work drinks and private parties September 4, 2022 The solicitors’ watchdog has said it will take action to investigate and prosecute cases of sexual misconduct that happen away from the office – even if those incidents occur at a pub or in a person’s home. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) said it will intervene in cases of sexual misconduct that take place in [...]
Employment lawyer admits making unwanted sexual advances towards junior colleague August 31, 2022 A senior employment lawyer has agreed to stop practicing as a solicitor, after he admitted making unwanted sexual advances towards a junior colleague. Ronald Stephen Simms, a former partner at UK national law firm Capsticks, agreed to remove himself from the roll of solicitors, after admitting to placing his hand on a junior colleague’s thigh [...]
Solicitors’ watchdog vows to use strike offs instead of fines in sexual misconduct cases August 23, 2022 The UK’s solicitors’ watchdog is set to cease fining lawyers for personal misconduct offences, apart from in exceptional circumstances, with a view to using non-financial sanctions instead. In a statement, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) said it is pushing forwards with plans to amend its fining regime, after the UK’s Ministry of Justice (MoJ) upped [...]
Number of law firms fined by SRA increases following anti-money laundering compliance crackdown August 1, 2022 The number of fines against law firms, handed out by the UK’s solicitors’ watchdog, has increased six-fold over the past five years following an anti-money laundering compliance crackdown, according to data obtained by City A.M. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), which regulates more than 11,000 law firms in England and Wales, gave out just six [...]
Solicitors’ watchdog advances crackdown on ‘lawfare’ with more than 20 SLAPP investigations June 26, 2022 The solicitors’ watchdog has launched more than 20 investigations into UK law firms over their involvement in SLAPP lawsuits, as part of its efforts to crack down on the use of Britain’s libel laws to silence the press and other legitimate criticism. The Solicitor’s Regulation Authority (SRA) now has more than 20 open cases over [...]
Dominic Raab intervened to increase legal watchdog’s fining powers June 15, 2022 Justice secretary Dominic Raab personally intervened to push forward plans to increase the solicitor’s watchdog’s fining powers, after MPs called for a toughening up of the regulator, to deter law firms from working for oligarchs. The Deputy Prime Minister “sought the views” of the Law Society, Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), and Legal Services Board, whilst [...]
Ex-Clyde & Co partner ‘rebuked’ after putting arm around female colleague at a strip club May 25, 2022 An ex-Clyde & Co lawyer has been “rebuked” by the solicitors’ watchdog for putting his arm around a female trainee solicitor at a strip club. The former personal injury lawyer, who was fired from the City law firm in 2018, was also told to pay £600 to the solicitors’ watchdog to cover the costs of [...]