One aspect of the governance of UK law firms that has constantly surprised our colleagues from the US, is the generally relaxed attitude towards conflicts of interest in this country.
It is fair to say that in spite of the Law Society’s extensive guidance on the subject, very few UK firms have a conflict of interest checking system that would meet the stringent US requirements. More worryingly is that even fewer could claim that any checks have been undertaken prior to the acceptance of a new client or the opening of any new matter.
