Lawyer hits back at fraud claims as case is stayed

PENSIONS: Law Society Council seat aspirant 'delighted'

London lawyer Paul Baxendale-Walker - who is standing for the Law Society's Council seat for Westminster - answered criticisms that he is tied up with a fraud action this week, when a criminal case against him was stayed for abuse of process.

The case, brought by the Serious Fraud Office, centred on an alleged pensions fraud on Scottish company Clarion Group's pension scheme, connected to a 2.1 million loan made by the scheme to a Virgin Island company.

Mr Baxendale-Walker - a former barrister who is now senior partner of a three-partner firm which bears his name based in London, Nottingham and Glasgow - acted for the company.

He was one of four defendants in a civil action brought by pensioners, which concluded in April this year.

Court orders prohibit publication of details of the judgment.

Mr Justice Wadsworth stayed the criminal action last week for abuse of process, but details of that are also gagged at present.

In a statement, Mr Baxendale-Walker said he was delighted with the result.

An SFO spokesman refused to comment on Mr Baxendale-Walker's statement, but said a staying order did not preclude the SFO from appealing against Mr Justice Wadsworth's decision later.

A spokesman for the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors said the office opened a file following the beginning of the action, but that the significance of last week's stay had not yet been accounted for.

Jeremy Fleming