Tag: FCA AML Audit
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Why the CLC is Telling the LSB to “Focus on the Big Picture”
In the world of legal regulation, there is a fine line between “oversight” and “overreach.” According to the Council for Licensed Conveyancers, that line is currently being blurred. In a candid response to the Legal Services Board’s latest draft business plan, the CLC has issued a clear warning: the oversight regulator is spending too much…
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The FCA’s High-Stakes AML Takeover of the Legal Sector
The transition from SRA to FCA oversight for AML represents an “architectural reset” of the UK legal regulatory climate. While the 2017 Regulations remain unchanged, the move to a “Single Professional Services Supervisor” replaces the SRA’s collaborative, guidance-based approach with the FCA’s assertive, data-driven enforcement. This shift aims to eliminate the fragmented supervisory landscape that…
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The Independent AML Audit; Why it Matters
Under Regulation 21 of the MLRs, UK law firms are required, where appropriate to the size and nature of the business, to establish an independent audit function. This is no longer a “check-the-box” exercise; it is a critical risk management tool. On the flip side, a poorly executed Independent AML Audit can lead to public…
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Client Matter Risk Assessment: Automation
The majority of law firms continue to use paper-based Client Matter Risk Assessments, but there is an inevitability regarding the shift from manual to automated processes. Even now, one could argue it is almost a regulatory necessity. As law firms navigate increasingly complex AML regulations and the prospect of the FCA as a regulator in…
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Client Matter Risk Assessments:Think First, Type Second, Tick Never
In the world of AML compliance, the Client Matter Risk Assessment is often viewed as the final hurdle before a file can truly get moving. For many fee earners, it is a chore, a list of questions to be “cleared” so the real work can start. According to recent SRA thematic reviews and industry insights,…
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The FCA is Coming: Why Your Next AML Audit is the Most Critical One Yet
A “changing of the guard” is underway in the world AML supervision. As recently reported by the Law Society Gazette, the UK government is moving toward a single supervisory model, with the FCA set to take over AML oversight from the SRA and other professional bodies. For many law firms, the reaction has been a…
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New Firms, New Focus: Why the SRA is Closing the “Two-Year Gap”
For years, many newly established law firms felt they had a “grace period” before falling under the intense gaze of an SRA AML Audit. The logic was simple: without years of historical data or a track record of completed data questionnaires, these firms sat comfortably in a middle-of-the-road risk category. However, the latest OPBAS (Office…
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AML Supervision: The “Paper Tiger” Era is Ending
A recent Financial Times report on the state of anti-money laundering (AML) supervision in the UK has sent a clear message to the professional services sector: while compliance is improving, enforcement still lacks the “teeth” necessary to be a true deterrent. At Lexsure, we perform Independent AML Audits for a wide range of legal firms…
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The Email Every Senior Partner Dreads: When the SRA Meets Your Lender Panel
It is hardly news anymore: the SRA is on an AML warpath…again. Fines are up, patience is down, and the “unlimited” fining power is being flexed. But if you think a five-figure check to the regulator is your biggest problem, think again. The real “death blow” isn’t the fine. It’s the email that arrives some…
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Why “Defensible Judgment” is the Law Firm’s New AML Mandate for 2026
In 2026, the legal sector finds itself at a critical juncture. With the UK economy facing a very negative future, the implications for UK law firms are acute. As “gatekeepers” solicitors and legal professionals are facing a perfect storm of economic volatility, sophisticated criminal tactics, and a sharp pivot by regulators toward “outcomes-based” enforcement. Here…