ACS:Law complaint progress and forum allegations

Dear Mr Fletcher

Freedom of Information Request - Our Ref: FOI/BS/396

Thank you for your email dated 12 May 2010 to the Solicitors Regulation
Authority (SRA) requesting information under the Law Society Freedom of
Information Code of Practice.

You have requested access to the following information:

"1) Any communication between the SRA and government departments or

parliamentary representatives (including MPs and Lords in the two
Houses) with relation to the complaints against ACS:Law.

2) Any information pertaining to targets for resolution of
complaints, including but not limited to an estimate of when the
complaints are likely to be concluded, and any outstanding areas of
investigation yet to be examined.

3) What measures have been taken to confirm (or rebut) the
allegations in the press that ACS:Law publicly posted on an open
forum without identifying their personal interest in the discussion
(in doing so attempting to sway the discussion). Further that this
consisted of a number of posts over a wide period of time. I expect
the following information to be available in response to this
question;
- Correspondence related to enquiries made to ACS:Law as to the
accuracy of the allegations made to the SRA.
- Correspondence from the SRA to Slyck.com to request details
which could settle whether the accusations have merit.
- If IP address evidence has been provided from Slyck.com or other
complainant with relation to the posts, the action taken to
identify whether an individual with links to ACS:Law is the owner
of the address.

4) The date (or provisional date) of the hearing at the Solicitors'
Disciplinary Tribunal for David Gore and Brian Miller of Davenport
Lyons with relation to the complaints made concerning their conduct
tendering claims of copyright infringement."

The SRA is a part of the Law Society but acts independently in carrying
out its regulatory functions. The Law Society is not covered by the
Freedom of Information Act (the FOIA) as it is not a designated authority,
but has adopted its own voluntary Code of Practice which closely reflects
the FOIA. The Code may be found at:

[1]http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/documents/d...

I am currently dealing with your request. Bob Stanley, Information
Compliance Manager will aim to respond formally by 10 June 2010 which is
20 working days from the receipt of your request.

Yours sincerely

Joao Curro
Information Compliance Officer - Legal Services
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL
t: 020 7242 1222 (Ext 4539)
f: 020 7320 5685
[2]www.lawsociety.org.uk
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Dear Mr Fletcher

Freedom of Information Request - Our Ref: FOI/BS/396

Further to my colleague Joao Curro's email of 12 May 2010 please find
below the response to your request for information under the Law Society
Freedom of Information Code of Practice.

You have requested access to the following information:

"1) Any communication between the SRA and government departments or

parliamentary representatives (including MPs and Lords in the two
Houses) with relation to the complaints against ACS:Law.

Please find attached the requested correspondence.

<<Ltr to Lord Clement Jones ACS Law 11.02.10.doc>> <<Ltr to Lord Lucas ACS
Law 11.02.10.doc>> <<Ltr to Lord Youn ACS Law 11.02.10.doc>>

2) Any information pertaining to targets for resolution of
complaints, including but not limited to an estimate of when the
complaints are likely to be concluded, and any outstanding areas of
investigation yet to be examined.

We do not have targets in relation to investigations such as this. We are
not treating these matters as individual complaints but rather as
intelligence. We do have a target to close investigations within 12 months
where matters are not classified as exceptional. However, this is an
exceptional matter.

3) What measures have been taken to confirm (or rebut) the
allegations in the press that ACS:Law publicly posted on an open
forum without identifying their personal interest in the discussion
(in doing so attempting to sway the discussion). Further that this
consisted of a number of posts over a wide period of time. I expect
the following information to be available in response to this
question;
- Correspondence related to enquiries made to ACS:Law as to the
accuracy of the allegations made to the SRA.
- Correspondence from the SRA to Slyck.com to request details
which could settle whether the accusations have merit.
- If IP address evidence has been provided from Slyck.com or other
complainant with relation to the posts, the action taken to
identify whether an individual with links to ACS:Law is the owner
of the address.

A matter has been set up to deal with this allegation and it has been
assessed by the Risk Assessment and Designation Centre. It is currently in
the Conduct Investigation Unit and is awaiting allocation to a caseworker.
As the file is not currently allocated, we do not have any further
information relating to the investigation of this specific allegation at
this time.

4) The date (or provisional date) of the hearing at the Solicitors'
Disciplinary Tribunal for David Gore and Brian Miller of Davenport
Lyons with relation to the complaints made concerning their conduct
tendering claims of copyright infringement."

The case has not yet been lodged with the Solicitors Disciplinary
Tribunal, therefore I am unable to provide you with a date for the
hearing.

I trust the above information resolves your request.

Yours sincerely

Bob Stanley
Information Compliance Manager - Legal Services
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL
t: 020 7242 1222 (x4117)
f: 020 7320 5685
[1]www.lawsociety.org.uk
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Dear Mr Fletcher

Thank you for you email.

I can confirm that the letters disclosed to you are the only
correspondence available on this matter.

Unfortunately we are unable to email you the date of the disciplinary
hearing. I suggest you contact the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal
(SDT) in order to obtain further information. Forthcoming hearings are
announced on the SDT website. Please find the SDT contact details below.

Offices of the Clerk to the Tribunal:

5th Floor, Gate House
1 Farringdon Street
London EC4M 7NS

Court Rooms:

3rd Floor, Gate House
1 Farringdon Street
London EC4M 7NS

Tel: (020) 7329 4808
Fax: (020) 7329 4833
e-mail: [email address]
LDE Box No. 395

Website: http://www.solicitorstribunal.org.uk/

Yours sincerely

Joao Curro
Information Compliance Officer - Legal Services
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL
t: 020 7242 1222 (Ext 4539)
f: 020 7320 5685
www.lawsociety.org.uk
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