A former partner with international firm Reed Smith charged three client accounts the €3,000 (£2,660) cost of a city break in London with his daughter, a tribunal has heard.

George Panagopoulos is alleged to have instructed his secretary to put the expenses of the 2019 trip to the three clients. It is further alleged that he attempted to doctor documents before meeting with a colleague leading an investigation into his actions.

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal heard today that Panagopoulos, a maritime and shipping specialist, had intended to include a work meeting as part of the trip to London from his Athens home. But that meeting was cancelled and so the expenses incurred – including hotel booking and flights – were entirely personal.

Cameron Scott, opening the SRA’s prosecution case, said Panagopoulos had sought to blame his secretary for misunderstanding him and wrongly charging the client accounts for his trip. But it was submitted that the solicitor had ‘clearly’ instructed the secretary to make these charges, according to documentary evidence from the time.

Scott added: ‘She specifically queried whether Mr Panagopoulos’ daughter’s flight should be charged to the client account and was told ‘put it through and we will see’.

‘There was no clear guidance and no guidance at all that the daughter’s flight should be charged to him. His conduct lacks integrity and it was dishonest to seek to bill clients for expenses relating to a personal trip.’

The tribunal heard that following an internal investigation, Reed Smith found the secretary’s explanation of what had happened ‘more credible’ and said he would have to leave the firm immediately, whether voluntarily or involuntarily. Panagopoulos continued to insist that his conduct was not dishonest and he had made no attempt to deceive. He told the firm he acted ‘clumsily’ and made some mistakes but that he had been with Reed Smith for 18 years and ‘had hoped for some latitude’. He resigned in March 2020.

The defence case had yet to begin when the tribunal broke after the first morning of the hearing. However Jonathan Goodwin, for Panagopoulos, stressed that his client denied dishonesty and he described the SRA’s case as ‘fundamentally flawed’.

The hearing, listed for four days, continues.

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