THIS ISSUE
Litigation funding is on the rise, providing financing solutions to increasing numbers of claimants
Firm appoints new partner
Firm promotes two to partner
COVID-19 is affecting the supply of pupillages, according to a Bar Standards Board (BSB) report
A recent Home Office tweet about ‘activist lawyers’ sparked fury in the legal profession, followed by a confused row-back by government officials
Tech London Advocates (TLA) and the Law Society have released regulatory guidance on blockchain, smart contracts, cryptoassets and other distributed ledger technology
Firm makes key changes
Solicitors who are holding monies belonging to a client that is subject to financial sanctions have until 16 October to submit a report to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI)
Law firms need to be extra vigilant to the risk of cybercrime in the time of COVID-19, regulators have warned
MPs are holding an inquiry into the future of legal aid, in light of difficulties getting legal aid assistance in some areas as well as lawyers’ concerns about fees, reduced work during the COVID-19 outbreak and other pressures
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Freeths—Ruth Clare
National real estate team bolstered by partner hire in Manchester
Farrer & Co—Claire Gordon
Partner appointed head of family team
mfg Solicitors—Neil Harrison
Firm strengthens agriculture and rural affairs team with partner return
NEWS
Conveyancing lawyers have enjoyed a rapid win after campaigning against UK Finance’s decision to charge for access to the Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has launched a recruitment drive for talented early career and more senior barristers and solicitors
Regulators differed in the clarity and consistency of their post-Mazur advice and guidance, according to an interim report by the Legal Services Board (LSB)
The dangers of uncritical artificial intelligence (AI) use in legal practice are no longer hypothetical. In this week's NLJ, Dr Charanjit Singh of Holborn Chambers examines cases where lawyers relied on ‘hallucinated’ citations — entirely fictitious authorities generated by AI tools
The Solicitors Act 1974 may still underpin legal regulation, but its age is increasingly showing. Writing in NLJ this week, Victoria Morrison-Hughes of the Association of Costs Lawyers argues that the Act is ‘out of step with modern consumer law’ and actively deters fairness
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