The Legal Ombudsman’s new Model Complaints Resolution Procedure: what it means for your law firm
Facebook Linkedin Instagram The Legal Ombudsman’s new Model Complaints Resolution Procedure: what it means for your law firm. On 29th July 2026, the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) launched its Model Complaints Resolution Procedure (MCRP) – a voluntary framework for handling client complaints, built on LeO’s own case-handling experience, a sector-wide call for input, and piloting with […]
SRA’s updated sectoral risk assessment: What’s moved, what’s new, and what it means for your firm
Facebook Linkedin Instagram SRA’s updated Sectoral Risk Assessment: What’s moved, what’s new, and what it means for your firm On 6 August 2026, the Solicitors Regulation Authority updated its sectoral risk assessment for anti-money laundering, terrorist financing, proliferation financing and sanctions. It will come as little surprise to lawyers that conveyancing remains the sector’s highest […]
AML supervision reform: what’s changing, what we know, and what firms should do now
Facebook Linkedin Instagram AML supervision reform: what’s changing, what we know, and what firms should do now A practical guide to the transfer of AML/CTF supervision from the SRA to the FCA. It won’t have gone unnoticed by our readers that in October 2025, HM Treasury confirmed that the Financial Conduct Authority will become the […]
In conversation with Victoria Marshall, Head of Property, Pearson Legal & Financial Advisers
Facebook Linkedin Instagram In conversation with Victoria Marshall, Director and Head of Property at Pearson Solicitors and Financial Advisers Managing a conveyancing team through the current compliance climate: an interview with Victoria Marshall We recently sat down with Victoria Marshall, Director and Head of Property at Pearson Solicitors and Financial Advisers, to talk about what […]
SRA AML Data Collection 2026: What law firms need to do before the deadline
Facebook Linkedin Instagram SRA AML Data Collection 2026: What law firms need to do before the deadline As we reported last month, the SRA’s AML and sanctions data collection form opens on 29 June 2026 – only two weeks away – and returns are required during July. Key takeaways: Completion is a regulatory requirement for […]
SRA AML Fines 2026: What law firms are getting wrong, and how to avoid it
Facebook Linkedin Instagram SRA AML Fines 2026: What law firms are getting wrong, and how to avoid it A recent analysis conducted by Legal Futures revealed that the SRA had fined 59 law firms a combined total of £600,000 for AML breaches in the past six months. Key takeaways: Every firm fined either lacked a […]
What the latest SRA Misconduct Data Means for your Law Firm
Facebook Linkedin Instagram What the latest SRA misconduct data means for your law firm New figures published by the SRA paint a striking picture of a regulator under pressure and carry an implicit message for every firm it oversees. On 15 May 2026, the SRA published new data on misconduct reports and investigations that, read […]
SRA Ethics Focus Groups
Facebook Linkedin Instagram SRA Ethics Focus Groups There are still spaces available to take part in the SRA’s professional ethics listening exercise this June. As we reported last month, the SRA launched a consultation on strengthening its continuing competence requirements on 22 April 2026, proposing mandatory learning records, annual ethics discussions, and new powers to […]
Upcoming changes to the Money Laundering Regulations
Facebook Linkedin Instagram Upcoming changes to the Money Laundering Regulations If the SRA’s April update slipped through the cracks during a busy month, here’s your catch-up. On 22 April 2026, the SRA confirmed that HM Treasury has laid a draft statutory instrument before Parliament proposing amendments to the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of […]
SRA Consults on 2026/27 Business Plan
Facebook Linkedin Instagram SRA Consults on 2026/27 Business Plan A significant reset is proposed, but it comes at a cost to solicitors and firms. Here’s what you need to know, and why your response matters. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has opened a consultation on its draft Business Plan and funding requirement for 2026/27, and […]
SRA Launches Annual AML and Sanctions Data Collection Exercise
Facebook Linkedin Instagram SRA Launches Annual AML and Sanctions Data Collection Exercise The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has announced its annual anti-money laundering (AML) and sanctions data collection exercise, which will take place in July 2026. The online form opened on 29 June (available here), and the SRA will contact compliance officers at regulated firms […]
MLRO or MLCO? The FCA wants to hear from you, and this is why you should respond
Facebook Linkedin Instagram The FCA wants to hear from you. This is why you should respond. The FCA has begun reaching out directly to MLCOs and MLROs in the legal sector to inform how it will approach AML supervision. If you have received an email from the SRA inviting you to take part in this […]
Digital ID for AML: the rules have just changed -and some firms may not have noticed
Facebook Linkedin Instagram Digital ID for AML: the rules have just changed – and some firms may not have noticed This article follows on from our March 2025 piece on the Companies House identity verification process, which introduced mandatory IDV for company directors and PSCs under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act. If you […]
When HMRC puts you on the naughty list – and how to get off it!*
Facebook Linkedin Instagram HMRC maintains a public register of businesses it has penalised under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017. It is sometimes referred to, informally, as the naughty list. It is anything but informal in its consequences. The scale of enforcement The list has grown […]
Crypto and Money Laundering: Due diligence implications for firms
Facebook Linkedin Instagram Crypto and Money Laundering: Due diligence implications for firms The use of cryptocurrency in money laundering is increasingly appearing in SRA supervisory findings and national risk assessments. Both the SRA’s 2025 AML report and the UK National Risk Assessment classify cryptoasset exposure as high risk, citing speed, pseudo-anonymity, and cross-border functionality as […]
AML fines continue: the conveyancing failings pattern
Facebook Linkedin Instagram AML fines continue: the conveyancing failings pattern The SRA’s 2024–25 AML report confirms that the regulator conducted 935 proactive supervisory engagements in the year to April 2025, a 72% increase on the previous year. Nearly a third of firms assessed were fully non-compliant; a further 54% were only partially compliant. Fines across […]
Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook: new platform delayed to June 2026
Facebook Linkedin Instagram Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook: new platform delayed to June 2026 The new UK Finance Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook platform, originally due to launch on 2 March 2026, has been postponed until the end of June 2026 following concerted pressure from all three UK law societies. The delay follows a turbulent few weeks: UK Finance […]
Financial Action Task Force Evaluation 2027: HM Treasury survey for UK law firms
Facebook Linkedin Instagram FATF 2027 evaluation: HM Treasury survey for law firms HM Treasury is preparing for the UK’s 2027 Financial Action Task Force (FATF) mutual evaluation – a high-stakes international assessment of the UK’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regime. As part of that preparation, Treasury is inviting law firms to complete a survey […]
FATF Grey List update: Comprehensive guide for MLROs
Facebook Linkedin Instagram Changes to the FATF Grey List – comprehensive compliance guide for MLROs The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has added Kuwait and Papua New Guinea to its grey list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring. Under Regulation 33(1)(b) of the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, this addition means UK law firms are now legally […]
It all started with a conversation on the M5!
Facebook Linkedin Instagram It started with a conversation on the M5! On 23 January, we celebrated fifteen years of Enderley Consulting the only way that felt right: by gathering the people who made those fifteen years possible and celebrating with them. Friends, family, clients and professional partners travelled from across the country to join us […]
UK law firms brace for FCA takeover of AML supervision
Facebook Linkedin Instagram UK law firms brace for FCA takeover of AML supervision UK law firms are facing growing scrutiny over their anti-money laundering (AML) frameworks, as legal regulators and government bodies increasingly express concern about whether the current supervisory model is robust enough to take financial crime. This has culminated in the Government announcing […]
Case Study: Misha Wallis & Co Solicitors
Facebook Linkedin Instagram Case study: Misha Wallis & Co Solicitors We recently spoke with Glenn Wallis, one of the principals at Blackburn-based Misha Wallis & Co Solicitors, about his experience working with Enderley Consulting. Glenn oversees both the day-to-day running of the firm and client work, and as a Chartered Legal Executive and qualified civil […]
Why the Ministry of Justice’s plan for client account Interest is fundamentally flawed
Facebook Linkedin Instagram Why the Ministry of Justice’s plan for client account Interest is fundamentally flawed The Ministry of Justice (“MoJ”) has launched a consultation proposing that law firms in England and Wales hand over a large portion of the interest earned on client accounts to the government. This policy, labelled an Interest on Lawyers’ […]
Case study: Begbies Traynor Group
Facebook Linkedin Instagram Case study: Begbies Traynor Group Supporting a multi-entity accountancy and advisory group Begbies Traynor with AML & ICAEW-compliance reviews At Enderley Consulting, we have long supported law firms with independent AML audits and regulatory guidance. Recently, we were instructed by a large, multi-entity accountancy and advisory group to carry out a full-scope […]
International Fraud Awareness Week: Why law firms must strengthen their defences
Facebook Linkedin Instagram International Fraud Awareness Week: Why law firms must strengthen fraud defences Whilst AML controls and compliance are at the forefront of most COLPs’ and MLROs’ minds, fraud continues to be one of the most disruptive and costly risks facing UK law firms. And while fraud often overlaps with money laundering, fraud risks […]
Celebrating 15 years of supporting law firms
Facebook Linkedin Instagram Celebrating 15 years of supporting law firms This year we’re celebrating 15 years of working with law firms across England, helping them adapt, grow, and thrive in an ever-changing legal world. Over that time, the sector has seen some big shifts, including landmark laws like the Bribery Act 2010 and Equality Act […]
SRA thematic review of source of funds and source of wealth compliance
Facebook Linkedin Instagram SRA thematic review of source of funds and source of wealth compliance On 5 November 2025 Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) published its thematic review of source of funds and wealth compliance. When the Enderley team delivers independent AML audits and AML training to law firms, anxieties over source of funds (SOF) and […]
FCA to assume AML supervision of lawyers – what we know (and don’t know) so far
Facebook Linkedin Instagram FCA to assume AML supervision of lawyers – what we know (and don’t know) so far The ‘big announcement’ during the SRA COLP and COFA Conference in Birmingham last month – that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) would assume sole responsibility for AML/CTF supervision of all regulated lawyers – sent shock waves […]
HMRC Tax Adviser Registration: New Rules from April 2026
Facebook Linkedin Instagram Tax advisers must register with HMRC and satisfy minimum standards It won’t have escaped the attention of accountancy firms and tax advisers across the land that from 1 April 2026, HMRC will require tax advisers to register and meet minimum standards. With the registration deadline set for 1 April 2026, firms have […]
SRA AML Annual Report 2024–25: Key Insights for COLPs, MLROs & Partners
Facebook Linkedin Instagram SRA AML Annual Report 2024–25: Key Takeaways for COLPs, Partners and MLROs The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has published its Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Annual Report 2024–25, and the findings are essential reading for law firm compliance officers, partners, and MLROs. Despite increased regulatory scrutiny, tougher supervision and record fines, one in three […]
Changes to the FATF Black List and Grey List – October 2025 update
Facebook Linkedin Instagram Changes to the FATF Black List and Grey Lists – October 2025 Update On 24 October the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) published its latest list of high-risk jurisdiction subject to a Call for Action (the “Black List”) and jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring (the “grey list”). The FATF Black List – no […]
Is your law firm ready for the SRA’s 2025 AML data collection?
Facebook Linkedin Instagram Is your firm ready for the SRA’s 2025 AML data collection? Things law firms need to be aware of The SRAs annual AML data collection exercise is more than a regulatory hoop to jump through – it’s a litmus test of your firm’s compliance culture and readiness to prevent economic crime. From […]
FATF Black List and Grey List Updates – June 2025
Facebook Linkedin Instagram FATF Black List and Grey List Updates – June 2025 On 16 June the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) published its latest update to the lists of jurisdictions with strategic deficiencies in anti-money laundering (AML), counter-terrorist financing (CTF), and counter-proliferation financing (CPF) regimes. The FATF Black List – no change There have […]
Are you ready for an SRA AML Inspection?
Facebook Linkedin Instagram Are you ready for an SRA AML Inspection? In the last month the SRA has published details of more Regulatory Settlement Agreements with eye-watering fines, ranging from £3,370 to in excess of £31,000 for law firm AML shortcomings. The hefty fines were meted out despite the regulator finding no evidence of harm […]
COLP and COFA: The requirements of these essential roles in law firms
Facebook Linkedin Instagram COLP and COFA: Understanding SRA requirements of these essential roles in law firms What are COLP and COFA roles? The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) requires every SRA-authorised law firm to appoint two critical compliance officers: a Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP) and a Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration (COFA). These […]
AML in law firms and providing a banking facility
Facebook Linkedin Instagram AML in law firms and providing a banking facility A recent Regulatory Settlement Agreement clarifies the overlap of these two separate issues. Using client money held for that client, a solicitor implemented a client’s instructions to purchase jewellery, to pay the client’s credit card bills, to defray unrelated business expenses, and to […]
New fraud and cybercrime courses coming soon
Our essential learning courses will give your team a practical understanding of fraud and cybercrime risks that directly target law firms.
Spotlight on fraud and cybercrime…it’s not just AML
Facebook Linkedin Instagram Spotlight on fraud and cybercrime…it’s not just AML We are often told by COLPs that the risk of fraud and cybercrime keeps them awake at night, for some even more so than AML risks. It’s hard to keep up with the fast-developing range of fraud and cyberattacks, even more so with the […]
SRA Accounts rules: residual balances
Facebook Linkedin Instagram Solicitors Accounts Rules: Residual balances This month we draw attention to SRA Accounts Rule 2.5, which requires firms to return client money as soon as there is no proper reason to hold it. It’s common to have small amounts left at the end of a transaction, i.e. because of late estate realisations […]
New list 3ZA of high-risk third countries
Facebook Linkedin Instagram New list 3ZA of high-risk third countries The Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (High-Risk Countries) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2023, which came into force on 5 December 2023, replaced the list of high risk third countries in List 3ZA with a new list. Why does this matter? Regulation 33(1)(b) of the Money Laundering […]
Money Laundering Regulations: What is a ‘transaction’?
Money Laundering Regulations: What is a ‘transaction’? In its 2023 model client and matter risk assessment the SRA has included the following question: “Is the matter transactional? Yes ☐ No ☐If no, does the transaction arrange for the movement of funds or assets? Yes ☐ No ☐ “ This prompted a client to ask us […]
Are you ready for an SRA AML Audit?
Facebook Linkedin Instagram Are you ready for an SRA AML audit? The SRA has made no secret of its continued laser focus on monitoring and enforcing anti-money laundering compliance. In the last month alone, six firms we work with have been the subject of SRA AML audits. One had a ‘desktop’ audit’, the others have […]