A former employee at a motoring law practice has been disqualified from holding certain roles in firms regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

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Nathan Blake, formerly with Devon-based Patterson Law Limited, drafted an adjournment request which he backdated before forwarding to the instructed barrister. Following a review of Blake’s caseload, the firm found three other documents 'that caused concern'. All had been backdated.

The documents included representations drafted and sent to police and a single justice procedure notice which was still in time ‘so there is no obvious reason for the backdating’. The SRA said Blake had no recollection of the single justice procedure notice.

In an agreed outcome, the regulator said Blake breached the code of conduct. Blake was disqualified from acting as head of legal practice or head of finance and administration of any licensed body, or being a manager or employed by any licensed body.

The SRA said: ‘It is undesirable for Mr Blake to engage in the activities listed.’

It added: ‘In the matter of Client A, Mr Blake forwarded a backdated application to present to the Court. His conduct was dishonest and lacking integrity because at the time of drafting the application he knew it had not previously been submitted and that the application did not accurately reflect the position of his client’s matter.

‘In the three further matters Mr Blake has shown a propensity to mislead clients and others. He has been unable to explain why documents found to have been created on the firm’s computer system have been labelled with an earlier date. His conduct was dishonest and lacking integrity.’

Blake, who fully admitted the misconduct to the SRA and cooperated with its investigation, ‘admitted he panicked and that there is no excuse’.

The SRA said Blake received no financial benefit from his misconduct. Blake agreed to pay the £300 costs of the SRA investigation.