A former trainee solicitor has been banned from the profession after misleading her employers about the nature of her relationship with a client.

An SRA notice published today states that Olivia Philp, formerly with Reading firm Hennessy & Hammudi Limited, had been given a section 43 order, barring her from working again for a regulated practice.

According to the notice, Philp represented a client of the firm at police station interview in early February 2018, and continued to represent this client for around six weeks.

The SRA had found Philp ‘provided inaccurate and inconsistent explanations to both the firm and the SRA, as to the nature and extent of her relationship with this client, during their investigation into this matter’. The nature of the relationship with the client was not disclosed, but the SRA found the trainee had acted with a lack of integrity.

It was also found that Philp represented clients of the firm at a police station interview when she had an own interest conflict.The firm suspended her employment in May 2018. 

The section 43 order allows Philp to seek permission from the SRA if she wants to return to the profession.