Sufe Miah (picture from LinkedIn)
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has shut down four law firms so far this week – two of them connected to the same man.
Newcastle firm Samuel Phillips and Gateshead and Leeds practice Hathaways Law (the Leeds office operated under the name Miah Law) were closed down on Monday as there was “reason to suspect dishonesty on the part of Sufe Miah in connection with his practice as a solicitor”.
According to Companies House, Mr Miah took over both firms in mid-2022.
It was reported in the Newcastle media last week that the two firms had suddenly closed down, although the SRA interventions were this week. Samuel Phillips is a long-established practice, set up by the eponymous solicitor in 1919.
Ackroyd Legal has been busy on social media offering to act for the two firms’ clients on ongoing matters.
Separately, the SRA intervened yesterday in Reading firm Pactum Law, citing both reason to suspect dishonesty on the part of manager Shazad Javed and a failure on the part of Mr Javed and the firm to comply with the SRA Indemnity Insurance Rules.
Pactum specialised in litigation and also commercial contracts.
Finally, the regulator moved in yesterday as well on high street firm Goodhand and Forsyth Solicitors (which rebranded at the start of this year as G&F Law) in Redhill, Surrey because “it is necessary to intervene to protect the interests of clients (or former or potential clients)”.
As a Legal Executive for 40 years, 30 with the same honest well run firm of solicitors where clients care and doing the best for our clients was always at the forefront of what we did. it sickens me that there are dishonest solicitors given the profession a bad name!!