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.
'Misleading' mitigation leads to return date with SDT
SDT panel told that solicitor allowed ‘misleading submissions’ to be made on his behalf in relation to loans to clients.
Bookkeeper’s bid to lift restriction fails in the SDT
Applicant argued he was not given a fair hearing by the SRA adjudicator.
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).
Ban for solicitor over 'shambolic' JR proceedings
Disciplinary action taken against owner of Southampton law firm following a referral by the High Court.
Solicitor who falsely represented client struck off
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal also ordered the lawyer, who denied all allegations against him, to pay costs of more than £20,000.
Solicitor convicted of helping family evade US taxes is struck off
Lawyer, who is also a barrister and an attorney in New York, was ordered to pay £11,393.25 in costs.
Solicitor vows to move on after SRA’s failed charge over 'inadvertent' kiss
Tribunal rebuffs SRA's application for £22,000 in costs in case concerning incident at London's Waldorf Hotel.
Decisions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Former solicitor jailed for paying off witnesses is refused restoration to the roll
Tribunal describes the application for restoration as ‘premature’ - matters leading to lawyer’s removal were of ‘utmost gravity’.
Uninsured solicitor did not tell clients of any problem
Kent practitioner continued to work on client matters and misled the SRA about status.
Solicitor struck off over ‘misleading’ time records
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal said the lawyer was ‘dishonest by the standards of ordinary decent people’.
Decisions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
SDT dismisses case against Dentons as SRA left with massive costs bill
All allegations are found not proved following a six-day hearing over ‘insufficient checks’ on former client.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Solicitor who cut corners on witness signatures is struck off
Tribunal urges newly-qualified solicitors to exercise caution before professing to be an expert.
SRA has 'lost sight of context' on prosecution, Dentons tells tribunal
Firm says it did not breach anti-money laundering guidance or rules that were in place 10 years ago.
Global firm made few checks on client from corrupt regime, SDT hears
Tribunal hears that client relationship manager said compliance colleague raising concerns was a ‘prick’.
Lying solicitor admitted to bosses she ‘cocked up’
Tribunal hears that solicitor misled a client about cases and fabricated attendance notes.
Immigration solicitor caught in BBC sting appeals strike-off
Ex-solicitor, who appeared in court yesterday, claims he was ‘play acting’ and that recordings were tampered with.
Partner suspended for using colleague's electronic signature
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal said 'given the nature of the misconduct…a short suspension was an appropriate and proportionate penalty'.