Expert advice

The collective sigh of relief from the legal profession was palpable on 31st March when the Court of Appeal handed down its judgment in the Julia Mazur & others v CILEX & others [2026] (‘Mazur’) case, overturning the High Court decision from September last year regarding who could carry on the ‘conduct of litigation’, one of the ‘reserved legal activities’ (reserved to ‘authorised’ people, such as solicitors and legal executives with practising rights) in the Legal Services Act 2007 (LSA).  High Court decision – September 2025 The...

As we have referred to in previous posts, Persons with Significant Control (PSCs) of companies, LLPs etc are now required to verify their identity at Companies House, making it even more important that such entities know who their PSCs are.  The definition of a PSC is someone who satisfies one or more of the specified conditions of holing more than 25% of the shares or voting rights in the company, has the right to appoint or remove the majority of the board of directors, or exercises, or has the right to exercise, ‘significant influence or...

As you may have seen all over the legal press today, the Court of Appeal has overturned the Mazur ruling from September last year!  Gone is the distinction between supporting or assisting an authorised solicitor in conducting litigation and doing so under supervision (a distinction which caused much soul-searching and head-scratching with the latter being forbidden since September), with the Court of Appeal confirming that “it is not unlawful for an unauthorised person to act for and on behalf of an authorised individual so as to conduct...

The Government published new guidance (and a blog) in February on the use of digital ID verification for money laundering checks to help organisations understand what it is and which providers to trust. ‘Digital ID verification’ refers to the ability to prove who someone is without them presenting physical documents or being seen in person.  DVS Register The government’s ‘trust framework’ includes an independent certification system and DVS register which (according to the guidance) means that, if your digital verification services (DVS)...

Whether you attended the Law Society’s Risk & Compliance Conference on 11th March in person or remotely, or were unable to do so, we’ve got you covered. We were at the event and attended as many sessions as the schedule would allow and have produced a summary below of the main topics discussed throughout the day.   Artificial Intelligence This subject was covered in the Keynote speech by Andrew Hogan of Hailsham Chambers, the practical panel discussion session on ‘Governing AI and striking the balance’ as well as cropping up in the...

Companies House published a statement on 16/3/26 confirming that a security issue (discovered on 13/3/26 but ongoing since October 2025 following a Companies House system update) had allowed users of their WebFiling service to access non-publicly available company and director personal data, such as dates of birth and home addresses, of other companies without their consent. It also appears that such people may have been able to make unauthorised filings (such as accounts or changes of director) on behalf of other companies or make changes to...

Further to our 21/1/26 blog, where we summarised the new obligation for ‘tax advisers’ to register with HMRC and what this was likely to mean for law firms, HMRC have finally published their guidance (or at least some of it) originally promised in January. There is still more guidance to come, apparently.   The guidance explains if and when businesses need to register as tax advisers with HMRC. The ‘if’ “If you interact with HMRC about someone else’s tax affairs and get paid for it” they will consider you to be a ‘tax adviser’, requiring HMRC...

The SRA and the FCA issued a joint warning to firms representing motor finance commission claims on 4/2/26, but it is a recommended read for law firms (and Claims Management Companies) dealing with any claims management activity work given the reference to the updated SRA Claims Management Activity Guidance. The main focus of the joint warning is on how firms should deal with consumers who find themselves having instructed multiple representatives in relation to the same claim, and the termination fees firms charge them when they realise this...

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has updated its lists of high-risk countries again, following their latest plenary session which concluded on 13/2/26. As a reminder, the Money Laundering Regulations require that Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) be carried out where clients (and other parties) are established in a high-risk third country (HRTC). The UK’s HRTC list mirrors the FATF lists so it is important to be aware of any changes to the FATF black and grey lists.  Make sure you update your policies, advise staff of the changes, and...