A letter by David McIntosh in response to the article by Peter Williamson called "Doing the right thing". Click on the link to the Gazette for the letter.

An atricle by Peter Williamson, chairman of the board of the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Click on the link for the full article published in the Gazette.

A letter response to the Gazette to the recent adverse finding of the SDT on TT fees (see [2008] Gazette, 12 June,29). Click on the link to read the full letter.

At a hearing of The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) on 20 December 2007, 7 equity partners of a firm were fined over telegraphic transfer fees (TTs).

The SDT stated that clients had been misled by the firm's invoices as it had described the TT fee as a disbursement and hid from clients the fact that the firm was charging a fee for handling a TT in addition to the bank's charge. The firm's paperwork indicated that the firm had been charged a fee of £30 by its bank for effecting TTs. The reality was the bank charged the firm £10.

The SDT took into consideration such things as the background and unblemished careers of the respondents; the seriousness with which their firm regarded compliance issues; the high level of client satisfaction; the lack of any complaint from a client; and the fact that the respondents had believed that the practice had been adopted by many other local firms as well as firms throughout the country.

Each of the respondents were fined £1500 and together ordered to pay £25,000 costs.

Click on the link below to read the full article published in the Gazette about concerns of 'heavy handed' visits to firms by the SRA.

 www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/concern-over-039heavy-handed039-sra-visits