A law firm director who failed to tell the Solicitors Regulation Authority about his business’ mushrooming debts has been barred from the legal profession.
Thomas Hardwick was an owner and director of Liverpool firm High Street Solicitors as it racked up liabilities of £12m and was forced into administration in July 2023.
The SRA had already received three reports from separate complainants going back to 2020 about the firm failing to pay its debts, and about unpaid adverse costs orders made against its clients.
The regulator started a forensic investigation in January 2023 and was told by a third party two months later that one of the firm’s creditors had served a winding up petition. The firm had not informed the SRA about this petition and subsequent court date during the investigation.
Hardwick’s lawyer did then provide a copy of a witness statement prepared for the winding up hearing which included details of the debt. This statement revealed that the firm was to be placed into administration – which Hardwick had not told the SRA.
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After an orderly closure, Liverpool firm Angelus Law became the successor practice to High Street Solicitors. Hardwick was also the co-owner of Angelus, and this firm was closed down by the SRA in April 2024.
It was found that Hardwick intentionally failed to disclose all relevant information to the SRA throughout its investigation. His conduct was found to be deliberate, lacking integrity and posed a risk to confidence in the solicitors’ profession.
Hardwick is now disqualified from managing or being employed by any regulated firm. He was also ordered to pay £600 costs.
He is the second manager involved with High Street Solicitors to have been barred from the profession: in March this year, Victoria Powell, former head of finance and administration, was found to have substantially underplayed the extent of the business’ debts in meetings with the regulator.
