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Risk & compliance: A sting in the tail?

21 January 2021 / Frank Maher
Issue: 7917 / Categories: Opinion , Risk management , Cyber , Profession
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Risk & compliance: Frank Maher provides expert analysis on the challenges ahead

Law firms face an abundance of challenges maintaining financial stability and client service in a virus-ridden world—not just coronavirus, but the electronic sort too. There are also many detailed Brexit-related changes affecting even domestic firms. Here are a few areas to address.

Cyber—with a sting in the tail

A cyber incident may cause reputational damage which imperils a law firm’s existence. This is not just an issue for large firms—hackers released personal injury client documents held by a US law firm.

According to the SRA Risk Outlook 2020/2021, in the first half of 2020 law firms reported losses of nearly £2.5m, and that there was a 337% rise in phishing scams in the first two months of the first national lockdown. The SRA published a thematic review in September 2020.

At present, client money—but not the firm’s own—is broadly protected against cyber risks due to the extensive cover afforded under the SRA Minimum

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Serious injury teambolstered by high-profile partner hire

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Firm strengthens employment team with partner hire

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

Lawyers’ liability practice strengthened with partner appointment in London

NEWS
Tech companies will be legally required to prevent material that encourages or assists serious self-harm appearing on their platforms, under Online Safety Act 2023 regulations due to come into force in the autumn
Commercial leasehold, the defence of insanity and ‘consent’ in the criminal law are among the next tranche of projects for the Law Commission
The Bar has a culture of ‘impunity’ and ‘collusive bystanding’ in which making a complaint is deemed career-ending due to a ‘cohort of untouchables’ at the top, Baroness Harriet Harman KC has found

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has secured £1.1m in its first use of an Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO)

County court cases are speeding up, with the median time from claim to hearing 62 weeks for fast, intermediate and multi-track claims—5.4 weeks faster than last year
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