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Solicitor

14 October 2016
Issue: 7718 / Categories: Case law , Law digest , In Court
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P & P Property Ltd v Owen White & Catlin LLP and another [2016] EWHC 2276 (Ch), [2016] All ER (D) 15 (Oct)

The Chancery Division dismissed a claim brought against the first defendant firm of solicitors and the second defendant estate agent, alleging, among other things breach of a warranty of authority, breach of a duty of care and negligence, where the claimant had paid for the purchase of a property, which it later transpired, had been purportedly offered for sale by an imposter pretending to be the true owner. The court held, among other things, that the checks that solicitors were required to undertake were designed to reduce the risk of fraud and could not reasonably be thought to eliminate it, and that the question of title was primarily a matter for the solicitors instructed in relation to the purchase and sale, not an estate agent. In all the circumstances, the defendants were not liable for the claimant’s loss.

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Firm announces five promotions, including new partner

NEWS
Proposed legislation to tighten the rules on pooled client accounts would place ‘substantial’ burdens on solicitors, the Law Society has warned
Increasing numbers of family mediators are cutting back on legal aid work or leaving the sector altogether due to low fees—creating a supply shortfall for low-income families
Lawyers acting in cases funded by damages-based agreements (DBAs) cannot claim their share of the damages if no damages are awarded, the High Court has clarified
Lawyers have given a cautious welcome to a Ministry of Justice decision to increase Crown Court sitting days
Barristers have been targeted with death threats, rape threats, threats to their family members, physical surveillance and threats from politicians, chair of the Bar Barbara Mills KC has reported
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