Ex-Slater and Gordon solicitor misled clients over struck-out claims
Clients were kept hanging on for months thinking their claims were progressing, tribunal hears.
Immigration solicitor fails to overturn second strike-off decision
Practitioner unsuccessfully claimed he was victim of entrapment over TV sting on sham marriages.
Solicitor sanctioned over fake signature appeals tribunal decision
South Wales practitioner challenges finding of dishonesty, saying he believed he had consent from his director.
Sibling solicitors banned after pocketing £2.9m from scheme advice
Tribunal finds law firm partners deliberately failed to properly advise clients to preserve income.
Decisions
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).
Tribunal rejects ‘wokeism’ defence from solicitor who made insensitive comments
Sole practitioner is struck off over a ‘pattern of non-compliance’, but he will appeal.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Mishcon verdict delayed by weeks after SDT time runs out
Parties made final submissions on the fourth and final day of the allocated time.
Top sports lawyer denies central role in football transfer payments
Liz Ellen, former partner with Mishcon de Reya, tells tribunal that she was a junior staff member at the time.
Mishcon gave ‘element of trust’ to murky football transfers, tribunal hears
Firm alleged to have used client account as banking facility for transfers involving football club.
Mishcon de Reya's last-minute admission to SDT ruled to be unfair
Former Mishcon partner was 'effectively ambushed' by admissions at such a late stage.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Tribunal questions ‘stale’ allegations against veteran solicitor
Practitioner fined £7,501 for misconduct dating back to three weeks in 2013.
Dishonest solicitor who faked boss’s signature allowed to stay on roll
Tribunal finds misconduct was 'one-off' and carried out 'in a matter of moments'.
Solicitor struck off for billing elderly former client
Tribunal also rules Cornwall practitioner raised numerous unfair charges against client.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Solicitor who claimed to be locked down in Chinese hospital struck off
Solicitor 'repeatedly used the claimed ill-health of his mother as a shield to try to deflect him from scrutiny', tribunal finds.
Retired solicitor banned for taking £275k from client’s estate
Practitioner jailed for leaving beneficiary with just £7,500 after transfers to his own account.
Junior lawyer suspended over blue badge parking deceit
London solicitor had avoided £4 parking fee by using badge that had been reported lost.
Court throws out appeal by solicitor who turned ‘blind eye’ to scam
Judge says tribunal was entitled to find that Liverpool lawyer had acted dishonestly.
SDT warns solicitors about their personal lives
Tribunal panels must act ‘fearlessly’ to protect the public, says president Edward Nally.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Mishcon to face SDT over client account transactions
Former head of sport is accused of causing or allowing inappropriate payments to be made into and from the firm’s client account.
‘Relentless’: SDT sounds alarm on partner pressure
Firms must ensure the wellbeing of their partners who are under intense pressure to meet billing targets, tribunal observes.
'Humanitarian' solicitor avoids strike-off – despite dishonesty
Tribunal found that respondent ‘had been trying to assist people’ at the time of his misconduct.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Defence lawyer agrees strike-off over prison visit expenses
Matthew Smith said his conduct had been a ‘severe and serious lapse in judgement’.
Solicitor banned over forged signatures on loan application
Practitioner had presented documents with forged signatures of his wife and ex-colleagues.
Ex-boss of London PI firm struck off over unpaid loans
Tribunal heard details of unpaid litigation funding and ATE insurance premiums.
Backdating solicitor cleared of dishonesty but fined £50,000
Ex-Fieldfisher partner admitted letters had been recreated.
Accused solicitor denies risking career by lying to help client
Former Fieldfisher equity partner tells tribunal he made a mistake but did not act dishonestly.
Struck-off solicitor gets three years for SDLT theft
Former owner of West London firm filed 52 fraudulent returns over five years.
‘Heavy-hitter’ equity partner accused of dishonesty at SDT
Former Fieldfisher partner denies misleading the court over creation of backdated documents.
Solicitor found with 23 indecent images of children agrees to strike-off
Leicester practitioner was also growing five cannabis plants in his
Solicitor jailed for ‘brutal’ assault avoids strike-off
Tribunal accepts solicitor showed genuine remorse and insight following GBH conviction.
Decisions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Firm owner with ‘dire’ accounts accepts two-year suspension
Tribunal finds Liverpool solicitor failed to maintain proper systems ‘at a most basic level’.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Retired solicitor struck off for overcharging dead client’s estate
Tribunal rejects sole practitioner’s argument that he believed he was entitled to raise invoices.
Decisions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
City partner struck off for inflating billing figures
Tribunal had ‘no doubt’ that the respondent had acted dishonestly when providing information about her financial performance.
City partner 'invented' £1.4m billing figure, SDT hears
Case involves information given to Dentons and Hill Dickinson during their partner recruitment processes.
SDT hears City partner grilled over ‘untrue’ billing figures
Case relates to information given to Dentons and Hill Dickinson during partner recruitment processes.
Decisions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Tribunal rejects sanctioned solicitor’s plea to end career ‘with dignity’
Panel rules that north west practitioner must continue to be subject to restrictions because of risk to public.
Absent solicitor pledges to appeal even before he is struck off
Tribunal found Kent solicitor acted dishonestly over payments made from the client account.
Decisions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
PI solicitor turned ‘wilful blind eye’ to suspicious RTA claims
Dozens of cases referred to the firm by a plumber named ‘Mr A’ were almost identical.
Ex-City partner struck off for misleading court and opposing solicitors
Practitioner had told client in international case that they should 'fudge' issue of unreliable evidence coming to light.
Decisions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Solicitor appeals strike-off over £1m loan
Director at Norfolk firm struck off earlier this year after he used investor loans to prop up business.
Decisions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Bomb hoax barrister fails to overturn legal ban
Michael Shrimpton was jailed after communicating hoax bomb threats relating to the London Olympic Games.
Firm’s boss misled investors in £19m failed claims scheme
Lancashire solicitor denied misuse of litigation funders' monies but struck off by tribunal.
Solicitor accepts ban after serving jail time for fraud
Madasser Hussain said she was now embarrassed by her conduct and accepted her wrongdoing.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal)
Veteran solicitor fined for transferring £290,000 to wrong bank account
Sole practitioner expressed regret after allowing what were described as ’basic administration problems’.
Solicitor fined for undervalued property sale between couple
Law firm founder made insufficient checks as elderly lady sold property to 34-year-old live-in partner.
Judiciary seeks SDT recruitment scrutineer
Revelation appears in new protocol for the appointment of members of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.