Solicitor misled partners after panicking at showdown meeting
Solicitor of more than 30 years falsely told firm he had notified insurers about court loss.
Tribunal goes into battle with SRA over fining powers
Richest firms will regard agreeing fines with the regulator as a 'transactional event', says SDT.
Former DWF partner struck off over sexual communication with minor
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal also orders convicted former solicitor to pay £3,000 costs.
SDT pays tribute to solicitor restored to roll 22 years after strike-off
Practitioner had been victim of ‘unrelenting’ domestic abuse at the time of her misconduct.
SDT dismisses allegations against City firm over AML checks
Tribunal rules that firm did not have to carry out enhanced due diligence.
Solicitor convicted of blackmail struck off
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal also ordered lawyer to pay £4,158 costs.
Solicitor suspended after losing company £212k from transactions
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, by way of agreed outcome, also ordered the director pay £15,000 costs.
Junior solicitor suspended after failing to tell client defence was struck out
Former Plexus Legal LLP solicitor also ordered to pay almost £2,500 costs by Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
Solicitor who withheld disbursements from barristers struck off
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal says Manchester sole practitioner ‘flagrantly disregarded’ duties.
High-profile solicitor fined after appearance on antisemitic TV show
Mohammed Akunjee made false statements about Mishcon de Reya but cleared of acting recklessly.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Solicitor fined £2,500 over Covid vaccine letters to schools
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal ordered the lawyer pay £30,000 costs after finding some of the allegations against her proved.
I did it for the children, Covid 'threat' solicitor tells SDT
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal hears evidence from lawyer alleged to have made threats over liability in letters sent to schools.
Solicitor threatened schools over Covid safety measures, tribunal told
Lawyer ‘chose to use the tools that were available to her as a member of the profession to lend her view weight’.
Junior lawyer struck off for failing to disclose sacking
'Ashamed' former Weightmans lawyer did not reveal real reason for her departure when applying for a new job.
Five-year ban for former Bird & Bird partner over inappropriate conduct towards junior
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal approves agreed outcome between ex-Bird & Bird Brussels partner and SRA.
US firm ‘disappointed’ over SRA’s money laundering compliance charges
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett says no money laundering occurred and no harm was done to any client.
Solicitor reprimanded over 'extremely poorly judged attempt at humour'
Solicitor admitted making ‘inappropriate comments’ about a person in court on two occassions, Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal hears.
Solicitor struck off over improper payments totalling £2.8m
Compensation fund has paid out more than £3.8m as a result of solicitor’s misconduct.
SRA to pay costs after Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal lifts employment restrictions
SDT quashes section 43 order, finding 'serious procedural failing' by the regulator.
Interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Equity partners avoid sanction after colleague struck off
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal judgment finds Solicitors Regulation Authority had failed to prove the facts to the requiste standard.
Law firm chief who 'bullied' junior colleagues is struck off
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal also orders solicitor to pay SRA costs of more than £41,000.
Managing partner diverted pension contributions to prop up firm
Regulator investigated south-west firm after complaints from four members of staff.
Firm owner who admitted ‘winging it’ struck off the roll
Inexperienced director used client money to prevent firm’s debt tipping over limit.
Solicitor involved in sham marriages struck off
Practitioner had been jailed for providing immigration advice and services when he was not qualified to do so.
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).
‘Not in the public interest’ to restore solicitor struck off decades ago
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal finds ‘time in and of itself did not warrant restoration to the roll’.
Zahawi solicitor to face SDT over ‘without prejudice’ email
Representatives for Osborne Clarke partner tell the tribunal the SRA’s prosecution is ‘misconceived’.
‘Vaccine campaign’ solicitor fined £15,000 by SDT
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal also orders lawyer to pay the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s costs of £66,500.
‘Vaccine campaign’ solicitor was following clients’ instructions, SDT hears
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal refuses 'no case to answer' application in employment lawyer’s hearing.
Solicitor who practised while suspended avoids permanent ban
Tribunal accepts revised five-year suspension but with reservations.
Covid campaigner sought to 'cloak political view in legal terminology', SDT hears
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal prosecution centres on correspondence threatening legal proceedings during pandemic.
High Court throws out SRA’s appeal in AML case
External provider failed to identify politically exposed person related to client, court hears.
SRA liable for £189,000 costs after ignoring its own AML guidance
Tribunal rebuffs regulator's attempt to penalise international firm Dentons after unsuccessful prosecution.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Decisions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Senior partner suspended over sex on a desk with junior colleague
Tribunal says younger female staff at unnamed firm were given ‘unsettling dilemma’ about how to respond.
Rebuke for solicitor who disclosed privileged email
Practitioner sent copy to opposing side after refusing to represent non-paying client.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal)
The week in 60 seconds - digested news
A round-up of the week’s news.
Suspension for ‘power trip’ partner who entered colleague’s hotel room in 2012
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal finds all allegations proven against solicitor who refused to leave recently promoted partner’s room.
Fraudster who raided client’s bank account struck off
Former partner admits she misappropriated £7,850 from client’s bank account over a four-year period.
Solicitor coerced vulnerable client into sending explicit images
Case-handler claimed he needed images to support a non-molestation order application.
‘Vaccine campaign’ solicitor fails in abuse of process application
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal is told legal threats made by lawyer over Covid-19 vaccines were part of an ‘ideological campaign’.
A call to equality of arms
Law Society deliberations on ways to support solicitors hauled before the SDT will not be straightforward.
SRA loses appeal against £75k tribunal costs order
High Court finds Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal was entitled to make order over ‘flawed’ proceedings.
Solicitor who charged dishonest Grade A rate is struck off
Solicitor passed off work as his own and inflated costs by thousands of pounds.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Decisions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
‘Dine and dash’ solicitor struck off over £60 Harvester bill
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal says a strike-off was the ‘only appropriate sanction’ to deal with the convicted fraudster.
Solicitor strung along client for 16 years with false case updates
Experienced Slater and Gordon solicitor created false story about arbitration awards and defendant appeal.
SRA seeks to protect client anonymity at SDT
There is a public interest in maintaining legal professional privilege at the expense of open justice, counsel for regulator tells the High Court.
SRA fights costs order in ‘flawed from top to bottom’ prosecution
Solicitors Regulation Authority argues SDT’s £74,950 order should not have been made as case was not improperly brought.
SRA appeals over costs of failed prosecution
Solicitors Regulation Authority, appealing against £74,950 costs order by Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, claim 20% of costs were not validly claimed.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Solicitor misled clients as case ‘spiralled away’ from him
Veteran practitioner left his firm immediately after telling clients their claim was defunct.
Solicitor accused of misleading SDT fined £30,000 despite being cleared of most charges
Solicitors Discplinary Tribunal finds allegations of dishonesty and recklessness were not proved in case involving ‘hardworking solicitor’.
SDT told of hearing difficulties in ‘misleading’ submissions case
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal told ‘common feature’ of case against lawyer accused of financial arrangements with clients was a request for help.