A trusted solicitor who took advantage of vulnerable victims of the mesh implant scandal has been struck off for a catalogue of lies and cover-ups.
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal concluded that Darren Hanison’s behaviour had been ‘deplorable’ as he falsified ATE policies, left clients at risk of costs penalties and settled cases for his own profit.
Hanison, admitted in 1995, founded Fortitude Law in 2015 and focused his practice on pursuing claims for allegedly negligent vaginal mesh implants. Tens of thousands of women were given these implants from the late 1990s to around 2018 but have suffered chronic pain since.
The tribunal said Hanison abused the trust that clients placed in him and exploited his position for financial gain. ‘There had been a profound failure to protect his clients’ interests,’ said the ruling published today. ‘His misconduct had been deliberate, calculated and repeated over a long period and had caused significant harm to his clients and colleagues.
‘He had taken advantage of trust placed in him. He had, in the most egregious way, abused his position of power and authority.’
In total, Hanison faced 17 allegations of misconduct arising from his handling of numerous claims between 2017 and 2023, when the firm was shut down by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Some clients had previously been with a firm called Secure Law, which shut down in 2015 and transferred cases to Fortitude Law, based in Sussex.
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The proved allegations included:
- Telling a client she would receive £335,000 in damages without telling her the total settlement was £525,000, with no explanation how costs were broken down
- Misleadingly telling defence solicitors in one case that £150,000 was owed to Secure Law for work done
- Agreeing settlement offers with no instructions from clients and no input from them about what was acceptable
- Retaining £45,000 from one settlement, purportedly on the basis it was a 25% success fee, when there was no basis for this deduction
Clients were left exposed to adverse costs orders – in some cases for years – because Hanison failed to obtain after-the-event insurance on their behalf. He sent emails to clients assuring them they were not at risk of having to pay any money when he knew that was not correct. These false assurances extended to other firms picking up his clients’ claims on the basis that ATE insurance was in place.
The tribunal even found that Hanison created falsified ATE policy schedules to give the impression to clients and third parties that cover had been secured. Policy numbers on these documents could not be traced, the company name appeared as ‘pie’ and not ‘plc’ and the policy paper displayed a company logo which was out of date.
Hanison did not appear for the SDT hearing. He emailed the tribunal last month to admit the allegations, including dishonesty, and to acknowledge that he had undermined trust in the profession and fallen below the standards expected of solicitors.
The tribunal said his misconduct was at the ‘very highest level’ of seriousness, and that Hanison’s written statement ‘did not reflect the level of remorse demanded by [his] profound and sustained misconduct’.
Hanison was struck off and ordered to pay £114,820 costs.
