Former Law Society president David Greene was misleading on oath about communications with a former client, it was claimed before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal today.

The case against Greene, senior partner at London firm Edwin Coe, has been brought by David Davies, who claims the high-profile solicitor gave misleading evidence to a county court judge in 2012 in a dispute about unpaid fees.

District Judge Stewart ruled in Edwin Coe’s favour and, in 2016, the same judge rejected Davies’ application to set aside the earlier judgment based on the allegation that Greene misled the court.

David greene

David Greene

The dispute goes back to 2008, when Davies’ company Eco-Power instructed Edwin Coe in a judicial review against Transport for London. The judicial review was dismissed and Eco-Power’s claim for damages was stayed, but Davies told the firm in 2009 that he wanted to pursue the damages claim, for which Edwin Coe opened a new file.

Elaine Banton, for Davies, told the tribunal today: ‘It’s a simple matter you have to have regard to – what was said by David Greene in evidence at the county court at the time. You then have to contrast that carefully with contemporaneous evidence at the time in terms of communications between himself and the applicant… The crux of the complaint is, David Greene misled the court in two related aspects of his evidence to support Edwin Coe’s case that a new and separate retainer for Mr Davies for what was a claim for Eco-Power.'

Greene said he had not heard from Davies for about a year before the new retainer was agreed and that the file in relation to the Eco-Power judicial review had been closed, the tribunal was told.

However, the damages claim was part of the Eco-Power judicial review and there had been regular correspondence between Greene and Davies, Banton told the tribunal. ‘If that’s correct, then that is a lie that was told to the court. It is untrue, dishonest and/or reckless,’ she said.

The hearing continues.

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