Late-qualified solicitor 'out of his depth' before career-ending mistake
Activity log revealed that practitioner removed client email to conceal fact he had not dealt with it.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Rookie solicitor working in 'chaotic' firm cleared of dishonesty
Newly-qualified Colchester practitioner had little understanding of how court processes worked.
Family law head cleared of misleading client over decree nisi
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal decides there was ‘no active misleading’ and senior practitioner had not acted recklessly.
Family law head did not mislead clients, SDT hears
Solicitor denies acting dishonestly or recklessly in relation to keeping a client informed on her decree nisi.
Suspension for failing to properly assess client’s capacity
SDT also orders London sole practitioner pay £21,129.60 costs.
Family law head who allegedly misled client over decree nisi faces SDT
Solicitor denies charges of acting recklessly in 2019 divorce case.
Decisions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Managing partner suspended after backdating letter
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal also orders solicitor pay £24,885 in costs.
Legal aid solicitor reprimanded over accounts rule breach
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal also orders long-serving practitioner to pay £8,000 costs.
Junior suspended over single alteration to email
Regulator accepts inexperienced solicitor acted in panic and haste.
Disability rights solicitor struck off over hidden property assets
Tribunal says lawyer was dishonest and motivated by financial gain.
Solicitor struck off for stealing £85,000 from vulnerable clients
Swindon solicitor who was jailed for two years misappropriated cash through ATM withdrawals and bank transfers to her own account.
Carter-Ruck partner wants alleged SLAPP prosecution thrown out
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal will hear summary dismissal application in December.
Solicitor 'chickened out' of telling client truth about her claim
Experienced practitioner wanted more time after report had suggested claim would not succeed.
Mesh claims solicitor not responding to SRA, tribunal hears
Three-day substantive hearing set to go ahead next year to examine multitude of allegations.
Manager whose client was politically exposed person is fined £32,500 over AML breaches
SDT also orders solicitor pay £50,000 costs and imposes practice restrictions following unintentional failings.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Solicitor who misled employment tribunal about 'IT issues' is struck off
Employment law specialist claimed she had not received emails due to a disabled security system.
Solicitor 'duped' into sending £1.2m kept off roll
Conveyancer had concealed the position from his insurer after a buyer who lost £350,000 complained.
Partner with 'head in sand' approach to deadline is struck off
Tribunal gives short shrift to solicitor’s claim he was overwhelmed by workload.
Firm owner suspended for hiring assistant subject to SRA restrictions
Following an agreed outcome, the solicitor has been suspended for a month and must pay £4,800 costs.
Tweeting solicitor avoids suspension but must attend antisemitism course
Bradford practitioner ordered to complete at least 14 hours of diversity and anti-racism training and pay £63,000 costs.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Strike-off for failure to declare money in divorce settlement
Partner did not consider his interest in the firm to be a matrimonial asset, Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal hears.
Tweeting solicitor tells tribunal antisemitic post was not intended
During cross-examination practitioner acknowledges some of his social media posts were ‘offensive’.
High Court dismisses struck off solicitor's appeal
Mr Justice Macdonald found ‘no basis for concluding…that the decision of the tribunal was wrong’.
Solicitor convicted of child abuse struck off
Imprisoned former senior associate at international firm was not represented at tribunal.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Firm to pay £78k after AML case goes to tribunal
Tribunal says it was a ‘matter of luck’ that criminals had not exploited firm’s deficiences.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Solicitor held in contempt to face SDT hearing
SRA confirms it will bring prosecution three years after court sentencing.
Solicitor who tried to stop complaint to SRA struck off
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal says solicitor’s misconduct reflected a ‘troubling mind set’.
SDT decisions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Solicitor avoids dishonesty finding after altering cheque date
Practitioner with 'strong sense of loyalty' to clients wanted to complete outstanding work before leaving firm.
PI solicitor diverted client damages to wife-linked rehab company
West Yorkshire practitioner created false documents, purportedly to pay for physiotherapy and a psychologist’s assessment.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Consultant loses latest bid to return to legal profession
SDT rules that banning order must remain as applicant had not showed sufficient remorse or insight.
Tribunal blocks reporting of names in SLAPP case
Clients referred to in the case of Christopher Mark Hutchings must be anonymised to protect legal privilege, SDT rules.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Partner suspended for harassing colleague - but SDT allows anonymity
Junior colleague reported feeling humiliated after being harassed during work night out.
Solicitor acted for claimant and defendant
Practitioner showed a 'cavalier attitude' to the rules of professional conduct, tribunal finds.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Solicitor intended to cause offence with antisemitic tweets, SDT told
Firm director denies allegation against him and says social media posts were made in a private capacity.
Ban for solicitor who worked for three firms at once
Belinda Sarkodie had submitted timesheets claiming payment for the same hours on the same dates from the firms, SDT rules.
Dishonest solicitor avoids strike-off over ‘moment of madness’
Highly-regarded associate said she was in a ‘haze’ due to work pressures and health issues.
DWF partner fined over million-pound payment error
SDT accepts agreed outcome saying the £14,000 fine was ‘a reasonable and proportionate sanction’.
Second Daily Mail 'sting' solicitor cleared of misconduct
Immigration adviser conducted an initial exploratory meeting and did not advise on fabricating evidence for an asylum claim, tribunal finds.
Veteran solicitor struck off for concealing bankruptcy
Tribunal says outcome could have been different if 'capable, diligent and competent' solicitor had made frank disclosures.
Decisions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Ex-solicitor loses appeal after Google search spewed out fake cases
Judge says court needs to take ‘decisive action’ to protect integrity of its processes from fake citations.
Solicitor struck off over rape conviction
Tribunal finds 'no words within the lexicon of regulatory and disciplinary conduct adequate to express the damage the respondent had caused'.
Decisions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Director who failed to comply with court order suspended
Six-month suspension appropriate sanction ‘to protect the public and the reputation of the legal profession’.
Decisions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Solicitor faces £30,000 costs over SRA fine appeal
Tribunal dismisses appeal over £8,000 sanction imposed by adjudicator panel for breach of a property sale undertaking.
Director who misled clients over failed claims struck off
Solicitor admits dishonest conduct over statements 'apt to lead' clients to believe personal injury claims had succeeded.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).