Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Equity partner fined £20,000 for anti-money laundering failures
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has also ordered the solicitor to pay £10,000 costs.
Law firm and partner ordered to pay £53,000 in fines and costs for AML failures
Sanctions imposed for 'failings which continued over a significant period of time'.
Former junior lawyer appeals strike-off over backdated trust deed
Jack Grunhut, admitted as a solicitor in 2019, argued that his conduct arose from inexperience and lack of supervision.
'Deeply caring' solicitor 'blurred lines' between legal work and counselling
Tribunal says solicitor who counsels sex offenders needs time away from profession.
Veteran solicitor lied to hospital to find out about client’s condition
Tribunal ends 50-year career of practitioner who admitted acting dishonestly.
SRA to bear costs of failed prosecution 'shambles'
SRA officer admitted that she had not carried out ‘wide-ranging investigation’ following firm's self-report.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Firm boss failed to disclose bulk claim flaws
SDT fines Bolton practitioner who tried to move into mortgage mis-selling claims with disastrous consequences.
Partner misled clients for two years about claim progress
Solicitor put problem down to his poor communication rather than any intention to deceive.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
SDT to hear solicitor's 'SLAPP' charge seven years after alleged misconduct
Allegations against Hamlins solicitor dating from 2018 will be the subject of substantive hearing in October.
Dentons appeal looks to Beckwith and Leigh Day precedents
Global firm says Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal's approach did ‘not undermine’ money laundering legislation or send ‘wrong message’ to the profession.
Compliance officer and firm each fined £25,000 for multiple rule breaches
Residual balances left unchecked, client account shortfalls and non-compliance with AML regulations.
Manager cleared of wrongdoing over source-of-funds investigation
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal said the solicitor’s conduct was ‘reasonable and in accordance with his obligations as the firm’s compliance officer for legal practice’.
City solicitor's KC slams 'defective' SRA as tribunal throws out allegation
Defending a Baker McKenzie lawyer, Greg Treverton-Jones KC accuses 'inconsistent' regulator of trying to ‘throw the book’ at his client.
Decisions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
City firm cleared by SDT left with £291,000 costs bill
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal made no cost order following six-day hearing of AML charges.
Two former partners struck off over property title dishonesty
One partner had sought to blame the other but his defence was rejected by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
SDT allows ‘under pressure’ solicitor who backdated letter to continue in practice
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal orders 12-months suspension to be suspended for two years.
Immigration solicitor faces SDT after Mail sting
Solicitor accused of acting dishonestly by ‘spoon feeding’ undercover reporter to create false narrative.
Struck-off solicitor slams national firm's 'toxic environment' in parting shot
Regulator does not endorse comments made by solicitor who lied to clients about case progression.
Solicitor suspended for a year over accounts rules breaches
‘Client money is sacrosanct,’ agreed outcome judgment states.
City solicitor fined £27,500 over AML compliance failings
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal said financial penalty was ‘appropriate and proportionate’.
Strike-off for solicitor who asked clients to pay fees into personal bank account
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal allows respondent to be anonymised in agreed outcome judgment.
Junior solicitor struck off for dishonesty over LPA misleading dates
In agreed outcome, SDT finds strike-off is only appropriate sanction following admissions.
Solicitor asked another firm to amend date on property sale
Experienced solicitor acted after his client’s transaction went through a day after SDLT deadline.
SRA ordered to pay £184k costs after botched prosecution of City lawyer
Regulator admits it ‘should have done better’ after waiting over a year to tell solicitor of internal report that undermined its case.
Zahawi solicitor fined £50k, but tribunal dismisses ‘SLAPP’ framing
SDT finds one allegation proved, but Osborne Clarke lawyer 'made no attempt to prevent scrutiny' of former chancellor’s tax affairs.
Ex-Freshfields partner suspended for touching colleague in taxi
Nicholas Williams, who resigned from the magic circle firm when the events came to light, got drunk at Christmas party.
SLAPPs case: Former chancellor Zahawi’s solicitor defends ‘without prejudice’ email
Firm’s head of client strategy tells SDT he was ‘not trying’ to be threatening in email to blogger and former magic circle lawyer Dan Niedle.
Zahawi solicitor misused 'without prejudice', SRA tells tribunal in first SLAPPs case
Osborne Clarke partner denies all allegations against him, as tax commentator and former magic circle partner Dan Neidle gives evidence.
Property lawyer struck off after backdating letter
Martin Smith returned from Christmas and new year to find he had failed to send document.
Osborne Clarke solicitor faces tribunal in first SLAPP prosecution
Lawyer was acting for former chancellor of the exchequer Nadhim Zahawi at the time of the alleged breaches.
Solicitor struck off over unverified legal aid claims
SDT says east London sole practitioner showed ‘total disregard’ for solicitor rules.
Decisions
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).
Divorce solicitor struck off for forging client signature
Surrey solicitor believed she was helping her emotionally distressed client.
Conveyancing solicitor fined after failing to disclose link to borrower
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal fines lawyer £12,500 and orders he pay almost £20,000 in costs.
Director blasts ‘egregious waste of money’ after failed SRA case
Allegations against Barings Law over misleading clients and due diligence failures were thrown out by tribunal.
Solicitor abandoned 'chaotic' firm and left clients stranded
Solicitors Regulation Authority had to intervene after landlord got in touch to say solicitor was gone owing £22,400 in rent.
Solicitor involved in false PI claim loses strike-off appeal
Judge says solicitor was lucky not to be prosecuted over fabricated road traffic accident claim.
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).
'SLAPP' tribunal to hear evidence about 'highly unusual features' of Zahawi threat
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal hears dispute over evidence sought by regulator on industry practice in defamation matters.
Solicitor who made misleading declaration ordered to pay £40,000
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal accepts declaration was not a deliberate attempt to mislead government loan scheme.
Managing partner asked junior to lie in client email
Tribunal finds solicitor acted ‘dishonestly’ in instructing junior colleague who was only three weeks’ qualified.
SDT lifts solicitor’s suspension with ‘stringent conditions’
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal accepts lawyer had 'insight into, and remorse for, his misconduct'.
'Legally misconceived': top defence silk condemns SRA prosecution and costs appeal
Solicitors Regulation Authority says it is ‘looking into’ the case in which it is accused of not disclosing all evidence in costs appeal.
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).