CV: Solicitor provided different versions, all inaccurate
An in-house lawyer who said he lied on a number of CVs to create “a persona that he thought was required for a role in private practice” has been struck off.
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) heard that, among other things, Vishal Patel claimed he had a first-class honours degree from Aston University when in fact he had a 2:2 from Birmingham City University.
In a statement of agreed facts and outcome with Mr Patel, approved by the SDT, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) said Mr Patel’s culpability was “high”, as “these were serious acts of dishonesty committed over a period of six months, involving several individuals”.
The solicitor “acted in a way to provide a benefit to himself by providing untrue information about his education and qualifications in order to secure new employment”. He “attempted to conceal his wrongdoing on more than one occasion”.
The SRA said Mr Patel, 39, was employed by Aviva Insurance from 2015 to April 2023, qualifying as a solicitor in 2020. At the time of the misconduct, his title was legal counsel.
In November 2022, a partner at Squire Patton Boggs (SPB) reported to the regulator that Mr Patel had applied for a role as an associate and provided false and misleading information in a CV on two separate occasions.
Mr Patel told his employer about the SRA investigation. Aviva Insurance launched its own probe and summarily dismissed him in April 2023.
The solicitor admitted sending a CV with false information to a recruitment agency in August 2022 in response to a vacancy for the role of funds associate at SPB.
In an email to SPB, the recruiter described Mr Patel as having first-class law degree from Aston and a ‘very competent’ grade in the Bar professional training course (BPTC).
Following an interview in September 2022, Mr Patel was offered the role, subject to pre-employment checks by a third party, Vero Screening.
Vero identified discrepancies between its screening questionnaire and the CV. Mr Patel was now saying he had a 2:1 and was graded ‘competent’ in the BPTC.
A check with a degree certificate verification company found that Mr Patel had been awarded a 2:2 by Birmingham.
Asked by a recruiter to explain this, Mr Patel said he “created a persona that he thought was required for a role in private practice”. He agreed he had provided misleading information but said he would “prove himself through work and dedication to the role”.
Before a meeting with SPB in October 2022, at which the recruiter was present, Mr Patel provided a second CV, which was still inaccurate, and gave Aviva yet inaccurate version while it investigated his conduct, again mis-stating his degree and BPTC score.
Mr Patel also admitted telling Aviva during its investigation that he had put Leicester Grammar School, a private school, on his CV, instead of state school Crowns Hill, because they had merged. This was not true.
In agreeing he should be struck off, the SDT said: “[Mr Patel] had admitted dishonesty and acting without integrity, there could be no doubt that his culpability for his conduct was high and that his actions had had the potential to directly harm the reputation of the legal profession. The tribunal found that this was misconduct of the utmost seriousness.
“The respondent’s mitigation was noted; he had made full admissions in respect of the allegations and cooperated with his regulator. The respondent’s admissions demonstrated insight.”
The solicitor was struck off and ordered to pay costs of £5,300.
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