A Collection is a selection of features, articles, comments and opinions on any given theme or topic. It allows you to stay up‑to‑date with what interests you most.
Login here to access your saved articles and followed authors.
We have sent you an email so you can reset your password.
Sorry, we had a problem.
Tags related to this article
Download PDF Print page
Published 11 October 2018
In late July, the SRA published its latest Risk Outlook. In that document the SRA sets out what it considers to be the key areas of risk for law firms, along with its recommendations on how those risks can be managed. The Risk Outlook gives an insight into the SRA's current priorities and where the profession can expect the SRA to turn its attention next in the context of disciplinary proceedings.
This year, the SRA highlights two 'new' risks, namely:-
New, more subtle threats arise from agile working and new technology. Law firms' employees working away from the office are more vulnerable to an attack if adequate security measures are not in place on home or public Wi-Fi networks. Smart devices, such as printers, video conferencing facilities and even smart thermostats can help fraudsters intercept sensitive data or discover when a building is unoccupied in order to obtain physical data.
The SRA also focuses on the requirement for the profession to act ethically and with integrity. In 2017, the SRA received over 2,000 reports about concerns in this respect. 439 such reports were made in the first quarter of 2018.
Particular areas of concern include tax avoidance schemes, particularly where solicitors are found to have 'enabled' those schemes through developing and advising upon them as well as advertising them to clients.
Cases involving attempts to abuse the Court's processes for personal gain, such as in the case of some immigration solicitors, are also singled out.
Non-disclosure agreements are also under the spotlight, particularly as a consequence of the "#MeToo' movement. On 12 March 2018, the SRA issued a new Warning Notice in relation to the illegitimate use of NDAs. They should not be used to prevent a party from reporting to a regulator or to law enforcement agencies criminal behaviour which would otherwise be reportable, or to exert inappropriate influence over individuals not to report breaches of the law. Solicitors using NDAs for this purpose will risk a finding that they have demonstrated a lack of integrity.
We anticipate that, in the year ahead and beyond, we will increasingly see examples of cases where the SRA has taken solicitors to task in failing to take heed of the warnings and advice contained in the Risk Outlook.
Return to main page
Newport
+ 44 (0)1633 657682
Bristol
+44 (0) 1633 657 680
By Thomas Magee, Cassandra Mitchell
By Laura Berry, Jamie Tomlinson
By Faye Fishlock, Andrew Parker, Joanna Folan
By Annabel Lingham, Peter Allchorne
By Lorraine Wilson
By Louise O'Reilly
By Cassandra Mitchell, William Swift
By Vladimir Rostan d’ Ancezune
By Colin Bissett, Jamie Varney
By Kate Sheppard, Deirdre Nally
By Lucy Dyson, Laura Berry, Julian Bubb Humfryes, Imogen Jones
By Graham Briggs, Anjali Sharma
By Martin Paxton, Kate Peers, James Gardiner
By Mark Roach
By Duncan Greenwood, Gareth Robinson
By Thomas Jordan, Jonathan Mitchell
By Philip Murrin, Sara Robertson, Camilla Elliot