Regulation

A family lawyer found to have fabricated and backdated letters across of host of cases – including child contact and domestic violence matters – has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. It said “significant harm” had been done to the reputation of the profession and of her firm, Bridge McFarland.

A “disgraceful” solicitor has been struck off after taking around £250,000 from a client under a power of attorney after he had died and also creating false wills for other deceased clients to pay off the legitimate beneficiaries of the first estate. He said the beneficiaries were “hassling” him to distribute money.

Another male solicitor has been rebuked for inappropriate behaviour to a female colleague at his firm’s Christmas party, following two similar incidents last month. The Solicitors Regulation Authority recorded that “whilst intoxicated, he behaved in an inappropriate, physical manner towards a female employee”.

A solicitor who wrote on Facebook that it was a shame a plane carrying Jewish refugees had not blown up has been handed a 12-month suspension and £25,000 fine after the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal found his “despicable” comments to be anti-Semitic. However, the suspension of Majid Mahmood has itself been suspended for a year.

A retired, non-practising solicitor who helped “friends and acquaintances” with legal matters but misled third parties into believing that he was still in practice has given an undertaking to the Solicitors Regulation Authority that he will not repeat his misconduct. He was also rebuked and fined £500.

A solicitor who loaned between £80,000 and £100,000 from the firm’s client account to a client claiming to be an undercover policeman has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. The tribunal said it was “possible” that she had been deceived by the client.

A Senior Crown Prosecutor who put in £5,800 worth of false travel expenses to help pay off his son’s university debt has been jailed for six months. He pleaded guilty to one count of fraud after submitting 62 bogus claims for journeys from his home address in Devon to Bristol Crown Court over six months.

The Legal Services Consumer Panel has fired a warning shot across the bows of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, saying it needs to put more consumer protections in place before pressing ahead with its controversial plan to allow solicitors to practise from unregulated firms next year.

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has struck off a solicitor who took £112,000 of historic client balances, having twice rejected agreements between him and the Solicitors Regulation Authority that he would instead just remove himself from the roll. He told his fellow director that he was transferring the funds to office account because “we needed the monies”.

A solicitor who helped himself to client money while carrying out what he claimed was a “tidying-up” exercise of historic client account balances has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. The tribunal decided that his actions showed a “lack of moral soundness, a lack of rectitude and no adherence to an ethical code”.