Solicitor cleared of any wrongdoing over costs
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal finds schedule ‘reflected the agreement in place at the relevant time’.
Solicitor's 'cherished' sole practice destroyed by fraudsters
Owner of Oxfordshire firm suspended for 18 months after failing to carry out 'rudimentary identity checks'.
Immigration solicitor struck off after admitting misleading asylum client
Partner’s removal from the roll was the ‘only appropriate and proportionate sanction’, SDT says.
Magic circle junior who lied in his pupillage application struck off
Former Slaughter and May associate claimed to have won prize for best overall performance during his final Cambridge year.
Decisions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal)
Solicitor who advised both prosecution witness and defendant suspended
Criminal defence lawyer’s two-month suspension, imposed by the SDT, commenced in July this year.
Firm boss struck off for taking client money and issuing bad cheques
Immigration firm sole principal who misappropriated £160,000 admits all allegations against him.
Decisions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Ex-solicitor fails in costly bid to return to profession
Tribunal says former sole practitioner has refused to acknowledge that original findings were correct.
Strike-off for misleading divorce client and firm
Solicitor of 18 years maintained pretence for three months that she was awaiting requested information.
Ex-solicitor caught in immigration sting barred from further litigation
Former practitioner struck off in 2023 has an ‘inability to accept defeat’, High Court finds following nine totally without merit orders.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
‘SLAPPs’ SDT case to be heard in private following anonymity order breach
Three-person panel found it could not ‘adequately protect’ client privilege in a public session following breach by newspaper.
PI solicitor struck off for concealing 'catastrophic' medical records
Solicitor of 23 years feared that medical records would open client up to 'fundamental dishonesty' attack.
Decisions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal)
Manager of firm caught in Mail sting sanctioned for 'woeful' staff supervision
Duncan Ellis solicitor said his approach to supervision ‘was to avoid micromanagement’, but the SDT found he had been reckless.
Solicitor who hid case collapse for 10 years admits lies
Clinical negligence practitioner talked about getting medical reports for case that had long since ended.
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).
SDT restricts foreign lawyer who 'crossed professional boundaries'
Spanish lawyer also ordered to pay more than £60,000 in costs.
Carter-Ruck ‘engaged in furtherance of fraud’ by clients, SDT finds
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal allows disclosure of documents relating to alleged SLAPP.
Late-qualified solicitor 'out of his depth' before career-ending mistake
Activity log revealed that practitioner removed client email to conceal fact he had not dealt with it.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Rookie solicitor working in 'chaotic' firm cleared of dishonesty
Newly-qualified Colchester practitioner had little understanding of how court processes worked.
Family law head cleared of misleading client over decree nisi
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal decides there was ‘no active misleading’ and senior practitioner had not acted recklessly.
Family law head did not mislead clients, SDT hears
Solicitor denies acting dishonestly or recklessly in relation to keeping a client informed on her decree nisi.
Suspension for failing to properly assess client’s capacity
SDT also orders London sole practitioner pay £21,129.60 costs.
Family law head who allegedly misled client over decree nisi faces SDT
Solicitor denies charges of acting recklessly in 2019 divorce case.
Decisions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Managing partner suspended after backdating letter
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal also orders solicitor pay £24,885 in costs.
Legal aid solicitor reprimanded over accounts rule breach
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal also orders long-serving practitioner to pay £8,000 costs.
Junior suspended over single alteration to email
Regulator accepts inexperienced solicitor acted in panic and haste.
Disability rights solicitor struck off over hidden property assets
Tribunal says lawyer was dishonest and motivated by financial gain.
Solicitor struck off for stealing £85,000 from vulnerable clients
Swindon solicitor who was jailed for two years misappropriated cash through ATM withdrawals and bank transfers to her own account.
Carter-Ruck partner wants alleged SLAPP prosecution thrown out
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal will hear summary dismissal application in December.
Solicitor 'chickened out' of telling client truth about her claim
Experienced practitioner wanted more time after report had suggested claim would not succeed.
Mesh claims solicitor not responding to SRA, tribunal hears
Three-day substantive hearing set to go ahead next year to examine multitude of allegations.
Manager whose client was politically exposed person is fined £32,500 over AML breaches
SDT also orders solicitor pay £50,000 costs and imposes practice restrictions following unintentional failings.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Solicitor who misled employment tribunal about 'IT issues' is struck off
Employment law specialist claimed she had not received emails due to a disabled security system.
Solicitor 'duped' into sending £1.2m kept off roll
Conveyancer had concealed the position from his insurer after a buyer who lost £350,000 complained.
Partner with 'head in sand' approach to deadline is struck off
Tribunal gives short shrift to solicitor’s claim he was overwhelmed by workload.
Firm owner suspended for hiring assistant subject to SRA restrictions
Following an agreed outcome, the solicitor has been suspended for a month and must pay £4,800 costs.
Tweeting solicitor avoids suspension but must attend antisemitism course
Bradford practitioner ordered to complete at least 14 hours of diversity and anti-racism training and pay £63,000 costs.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Strike-off for failure to declare money in divorce settlement
Partner did not consider his interest in the firm to be a matrimonial asset, Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal hears.
Tweeting solicitor tells tribunal antisemitic post was not intended
During cross-examination practitioner acknowledges some of his social media posts were ‘offensive’.
High Court dismisses struck off solicitor's appeal
Mr Justice Macdonald found ‘no basis for concluding…that the decision of the tribunal was wrong’.
Solicitor convicted of child abuse struck off
Imprisoned former senior associate at international firm was not represented at tribunal.
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).
Firm to pay £78k after AML case goes to tribunal
Tribunal says it was a ‘matter of luck’ that criminals had not exploited firm’s deficiences.
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).
Solicitor held in contempt to face SDT hearing
SRA confirms it will bring prosecution three years after court sentencing.
Solicitor who tried to stop complaint to SRA struck off
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal says solicitor’s misconduct reflected a ‘troubling mind set’.
SDT decisions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).
Solicitor avoids dishonesty finding after altering cheque date
Practitioner with 'strong sense of loyalty' to clients wanted to complete outstanding work before leaving firm.
PI solicitor diverted client damages to wife-linked rehab company
West Yorkshire practitioner created false documents, purportedly to pay for physiotherapy and a psychologist’s assessment.
Decisions and interventions
Decisions filed recently with the Law Society (which may be subject to appeal).