In this series of news alerts, our regulatory and professional discipline partner, Andrew Pavlovic, identifies 3 key regulatory trends which firms and solicitors need to be aware of in 2023. In this second alert, Andrew considers the increased scrutiny on lawyers following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, both in respect of the conduct of litigation and on the […]
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10 Legal and Regulatory Issues for Law Firms to Consider in Managing an Investigation into Partner Misconduct
January 25th, 2023 by Stuart Smith
In recent years there has been a renewed focus on how misconduct allegations are managed by law firms. That focus has arisen for a variety of reasons, including cultural shifts resulting from the #MeToo movement, generational changes, heightened media scrutiny and regulatory pressures. In this article, first published for ThoughtLeaders4 Disputes Magazine, Regulatory and Professional Discipline […]
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3 Regulatory Trends for 2023 – Part 1
January 18th, 2023 by Stuart Smith
In this series of news alerts, our regulatory and professional discipline partner, Andrew Pavlovic, identifies 3 key regulatory trends which firms and solicitors need to be aware of in 2023. In this first alert, Andrew considers the SRA’s continued focus on firm culture, following its thematic review and guidance on workplace environments in February 2022. Firm […]
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Own Interest Conflicts for Law Firms and Lawyers – Can You Put Things Right When You Make a Mistake? – Ten-Minute Talk
January 11th, 2023 by Stuart Smith
In the next of our Ten-Minute Talk series, Partners Corinne Staves and Andrew Pavlovic discuss own interest conflicts for lawyers and law firms, with a particular emphasis on how they can arise through mistakes. In particular, Corinne and Andrew discuss the following: If I make a mistake, do I have to tell the client? If so, what do I tell […]
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Andrew Pavlovic, professional discipline and regulatory Partner, has authored a practice note for PLC’s new Practice Compliance and Management resource hub. The practice note is essential reading for Partners and General Counsel having to grapple with potential own interest conflict issues which arise either at the outset or during the course of a matter. […]
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The SRA’s Warning Notice on Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participations (SLAPPS) follows reports that solicitors are facilitating the suppression of free speech by bringing meritless claims on behalf of wealthy clients to intimidate journalists/the wider media from publishing stories on matters of public interest. The Warning Notice makes clear that acting in this way would breach […]
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SRA Sexual Misconduct Guidance – Self-reporting, Impact of alcohol, Consent and “Proximity to practice” – What Lawyers and Firms Need to Know – Webinar Recording
October 13th, 2022 by Stuart Smith
We are delighted to share with you the recording of our recent webinar ‘SRA Sexual Misconduct Guidance – What Lawyers and Firms Need to Know’ . The panel discussion includes a detailed analysis of the key areas in the SRA guidance: When does the threshold for self-reporting apply? The SRA’s view on the influence of […]
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Key Considerations for a Successful Law Firm Merger – Part 1: Regulatory Considerations
October 10th, 2022 by Stuart Smith
Failure to consider regulatory issues at an early stage when mulling a merger can result in fundamental SRA Principles and Rules relating to confidentiality and conflicts of interest being infringed, leading to potential SRA investigations and disciplinary sanctions. In this article, first published by The Law Society Gazette, regulatory and professional discipline Partner, Andrew Pavlovic, […]
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15 Self-Preservation Tips For Partners To Avoid Sexual Misconduct Risk
October 3rd, 2022 by Stuart Smith
These are the top 15 practical things that – in our experience – partners in law firms can do to protect themselves against allegations of sexual misconduct, and the internal and regulatory investigations, and potential harm to their reputation, career, family life, and more, that can result. This follows the SRA’s recently published Guidance on […]
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Most Significant Changes to Companies House in 170 Years will Affect all Companies, LLPs and Limited Partnerships
September 23rd, 2022 by Mitchell Blythe
Yesterday, 22nd September 2022, the Government published the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill. If passed, this will overhaul Companies House and the processes of registering companies, LLPs and limited partnerships. Objectives include tackling, in the Government’s words, “dirty money” flowing through the UK. The key LLP and partnership proposals include: All LLP members will […]
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