Director struck off after admitting editing client email chain

A solicitor has been struck off the roll after admitting that he edited the contents of an email chain to make it appear he had dealt with a client matter more efficiently.

Jonah David Michael, admitted in 2011, was a director in the residential conveyancing department at London firm Lawrence Stephens Solicitors. He admitted allegations including dishonesty and lack of integrity. 

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal judgment dealt with the case on the papers. According to the judgment, the misconduct took place over three months while Michael was working at home 'against a background of personal difficulty'. However it said the difficulties experienced did not constitute exceptional circumstances.

Mitigation put forward on Michael’s behalf said: ‘The respondent made it clear through his time at the firm that he needed other lawyers to support him or otherwise to have existing casework taken off his desk, all of which was ignored. Throughout his time at the firm, he was working remotely from home and never got to physically meet his colleagues.’

When the issues were raised at a virtual meeting, Michael emailed the firm to resign with immediate effect.

The tribunal, in approving the sanction agreed between Michael and the Solicitors Regulation Authority, said strike off was ‘the only appropriate and proportionate sanction’ given the ‘admission of dishonesty and the absence of exceptional circumstances’.

The judgment adds: ‘As a general observation, the tribunal urged any solicitor whose work was being impacted by personal problems to seek timely and appropriate help before matters escalated beyond their control.’

The tribunal also ordered Michael to pay costs of £5,000.