Newman: Disqualified by SRA last month
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The High Court has issued a freezing order against the non-lawyer owner of a law firm the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) shut down last year, at the behest of the solicitor who sold it to her.
Jay Singh Sahota says he and his wife, Joti Kaur Sahota, are owed £346,000 by Dorota Newman, who took over Jarmans Solicitors in Sittingbourne, Kent in 2022.
The SRA closed Jarmans in March 2024 because there was reason to suspect dishonesty on the part of Ms Newman, who is listed on Companies House as a fashion designer.
Last month, it disqualified Ms Newman from working in or managing law firms, having found that she authorised 18 improper transfers from client to office account, causing a shortage of £3,700 shortage on client account.
She also failed to maintain the firm’s accounts in compliance with the SRA accounts rules.
Last week, Mr Justice Miles granted Mr and Mrs Sahota’s application for an interim freezing injunction against Ms Newman’s assets, which include properties in London and Exeter. A penal notice was attached to the order.
Ms Newman did not attend and the judge said she was “not willing to take the process of the court seriously while facing a substantial claim against her”.
The Sahotas’ solicitor, Akbar Ali, managing director of central London firm Ali Legal, said: “This judgment marks an important step for my clients as they seek to recover the money owed to them by Ms Newman.
“It has been terrible for them to see the well-respected firm they previously owned come to such a sad end, but I hope they can draw some comfort from being a step closer to receiving the funds they are due.”
Under the interim injunction, Ms Newman is not permitted to dispose of property or assets, other than to meet living expenses, set by the judge at £800 a week, and “a reasonable sum” on legal advice and representation.
The next hearing is on 4 April, by which time she must also have provided Ali Legal with a full run-down of her assets.
If Ms Newman lodges £346,000 or other agreed security with the court, the order will cease to have effect.
Jarmans Solicitors’ history dates back more than 150 years. It was until recently a sponsor of Sittingbourne FC.
Writing on LinkedIn on 1 March 2023, Ms Newman said she was “proud to announce I am the owner and director of Jarmans Solicitors”.
She added a week later, to mark International Women’s Day: “Today, I’m feeling grateful for the journey that brought me to where I am now – the owner and director of my own law firm. It’s been a long and often challenging road, but I never gave up on my dream.
“I hope my story inspires other women to pursue their passions and never settle for less. Here’s to all the amazing women out there, and to a brighter future ahead.”
