Comment
Full steam ahead
Paul Bennett reflects on some of the key issues firm leaders faced in 2022 and details what’s on the horizon for the year ahead
Features
Surviving a storm
Douglas Russell and Sally Jones, at Law Society partner Armstong Watson LLP, give their advice on how to manage your firm through difficult economic times
Underground banking
Laurence Howland does a deep dive into Chinese underground banking, outlining how it works and how the risk impact on law firms in the UK can be mitigated
Disability inclusion
Reena Parmar shares her experience in the law as a disabled woman from an ethnic minority and a lower socio-economic background, and why intersectional role models are so important
The personal touch
Victoria Moffatt explains the importance of having a personal brand, and how to get started with building one
The role of compliance
As a recent survey reveals that the increasing complexity of compliance is a top concern for more than three-quarters of lawyers, Lucy Trevelyan talks to William Robins, director of compliance and operations at Keystone Law, about the challenges he faces in his role
Joined-up thinking
Andrew Roberts gives his analysis of the current state of the law firm merger market
Trailblazing solicitors
It’s been 100 years since the first women qualified as solicitors in England and Wales. To celebrate this milestone, Dana Denis-Smith looks back at where it all began – with the first women admitted to the roll
Mental note
Following on from recent high-profile tribunal cases involving junior lawyers, Manda Banerji looks at the role of mental health in regulatory outcomes
Fake news
Susanna Heley considers a real case where a solicitor found themselves in the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT). A series of breaches of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Standards and Regulations were alleged, including falsifying posts on social media
Follow the money
Julie Norris outlines key recent developments relating to the regulation of money laundering in the legal sector and the implications for legal practitioners and law firms
All in this together
Melinda Giles speaks to Simeon Hance about how switching to an employee ownership trust model helped to secure the future of her firm and enhanced social mobility
Habits for good leaders
Thom Dennis outlines the habits that every good leader should adopt, particularly in uncertain business and economic times
Under sanction
With the announcement that the SRA will be scrutinising firms for sanctions compliance, Anita Clifford considers what firms should be doing to ensure they are meeting the requirements