The Legal Services Board has given approval to changes to rule 4 of the Solicitors' Code of Conduct 2007 as well as accompanying guidance. Under the amendment conditions are extended for law firms acting with the use of an information barrier where confidential information of one client may otherwise be at risk where a firm is instructed by a new client with a conflict of interest. Before the amendments, a law firm could only finish a client's work where it was already started using an information barrier; under the amendment law firms can accept new instructions where it is obvious from the beginning there is adversity between clients and confidentiality could be at risk using an information barrier.
Solicitors Regulation Authority
Subject: Legal profession
Keywords: Client relationship management; Codes of conduct; Confidentiality; Conflict of interest; Law firms; Solicitors