LAWYERS IN THE DOCK
Cavity smirch
BACK in March, the
Eye
reported that the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) was taking action against individuals involved in a rogue Sheffield law firm which collapsed with debts of £200m (
Eye
1644). Now the regulator itself is having its wrist slapped for not putting a stop to the firm’s activities sooner.
The Legal Services Board commissioned a review into the regulator’s dealings with the law firm, SSB Law, which acted for thousands of clients, many of them seeking compensation for faulty cavity wall insulation. The firm’s debts arose from loans it took out to fund the huge number of claimants it had taken on. Despite being assured they were being taken on a no-win no-fee basis, SSB’s clients were later pursued for hefty legal costs.