By Samantha Bray We all like to think that the red lines are obvious. You don’t fake a signature. You don’t “tidy up” an attendance note after the event and pretend it was written at the time. [...]

By Sophie Cisler Like buses, consultations on how law firms deal with interest generated on client account seem to come one after the other. The SRA were wringing their hands about it last year, [...]

Client account reconciliations are one of the few truly prescriptive controls left in the Accounts Rules. For a busy COFA they can feel routine, even a bit dull, but the panel’s starting point [...]

There’s a moment every COLP recognises. A partner leans back and says, “We’ve always done it this way.” Or: “Don’t overthink it.” Or (a personal favourite): “We’ll tidy it up later.” It’s rarely [...]

The SRA may have stepped back from immediate, sweeping change to the client account model, but it has kept the regulatory spotlight firmly on COFAs. Its latest consumer protection consultation [...]

By Sophie Cisler New year, new you? If you’re thinking about your AML compliance, assessing your track record of assessing and submitting Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) is a good place to [...]

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 is quietly transforming Companies House from a passive registry into something more like a financial crime gatekeeper. At the heart of this [...]

If you joined our free AML workshop in November, you will already know Amelia Price. If not, here is the short version. Harbour Gate Legal LLP is a fictional regional firm we use as a case study. [...]

By Sophie Cisler “Personal financial challenges present firm level risks” This was the proposition put forward at the Wealthbrite launch event for their new report, Financial Well-Being in Law [...]

The SRA’s recent thematic review on source of funds and source of wealth compliance made for uncomfortable reading: most firms are trying, but too many are still falling down on the basics – [...]