Annual Compliance Update 2019

The long-awaited overhaul of the SRA’s regulatory regime has been delayed until November, but there has been no shortage of developments for law firms to address in the meantime. It was announced earlier in the year that hundreds of firms would have their anti-money laundering policies and procedures assessed by the SRA and the Law Society introduced far-reaching changes to the Practice Management Standards for the Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Meanwhile, the steady progression to a more open-ended principles-based regulatory structure in place of the more traditional rule-based system continues apace. In this regard the SRA’s Enforcement Strategy, published in February this year, is something that all COLPs, COFAs and managing partners or directors should be aware of.


In our Annual Compliance review we will cover the following areas, and any other last-minute developments of note.

· Looking forward to Standards and Regulations: what changes should we be making now to be fit for the future?
· The SRA Enforcement Strategy: making sense of principles-based regulation
· What the SRA expects of all firms subject to the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, and further changes AML controls to look out for
· Understanding the revised CQS requirements

As ever the presenters promise to provide a wide-ranging and interactive session on the most important compliance issues of the day.

Speakers

· Matthew Moore LL.B, CdipAF Solicitor. Matthew is a director of law firm compliance and risk management consultancy Infolegal Ltd (www.infolegal.co.uk) and is also a consultant solicitor with Jayne Willetts & Co Solicitors. He is the co-author of ‘The Solicitors Office Procedures Manual’ (www.solicitors-opm.co.uk) and “Money Laundering Compliance for Solicitors" (with Diane Price - second edition due November). Both publications are published by Professional Compliance Publishing - see www.solicitors-opm.co.uk).
· Jayne Willetts, LL.B, Solicitor Advocate. Jayne is a Solicitor Advocate with her own specialist professional regulation practice Jayne Willetts & Co Solicitors. She regularly appears as an advocate before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. Described in Chambers & Partners Directory as “a formidable defence advocate” much of her work involves advising individual solicitors, law firms and also new entrants to the legal services market on all aspects of professional regulation. Jayne is a former President of Birmingham Law Society and her column Regulation Report has been published in the BLS Bulletin since 2005.