Surgical mesh: Solicitor faces multiple charges
A solicitor who acted for hundreds of women in vaginal mesh claims before his firm was shut down is to appear before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
Darren Hanison faces multiple charges of dishonesty over his practice at Fortitude Law in Haywards Heath, Sussex.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) closed down the firm in May 2023 because there was “reason to suspect dishonesty” on the part of Mr Hanison, a recognised sole practitioner.
Campaign group Sling the Mesh said at the time that Mr Hanison was representing many of its members in their claims of harm as a result of vaginal mesh implant surgery and that the intervention left them “understandably angry and distraught”.
A notice published by the SRA yesterday said the tribunal has certified Mr Hanison has a case to answer in respect of allegations that included failing to take instructions from a client in relation to offers in litigation, and telling a client she was receiving a settlement but not that this was after taking nearly half of the offered amount in costs.
He is also accused of failed to deal with requests for payments from a third party, making misleading demands for costs, misleading another party as to the payment of costs and taking instructions on offers, and dishonestly keeping settlement money to pay supposed success fees.
Further allegations are that he failed to ensure clients had valid after-the-event (ATE) insurance policies in place, misleading clients into thinking they were not at risk of payment of costs if they lost the litigation, and misleading third parties and the SRA as to the existence of ATE insurance.
The SRA also says Mr Hanison submitted a false public indemnity insurance proposal and created fake insurance policy schedules.
The allegations are unproven pending the hearing.
Later in 2023, Fortitude had its costs slashed by Judge Jennifer James in the Senior Courts Costs Office.
She quoted the firm’s website as stating: “Fortitude Law has already helped, and is currently helping, many UK women to secure compensation of £100,000 or more in respect of negligent mesh implantation surgery – and our unique approach means that the individuals we act for receive compensation from the insurance which the private medical consultants, private hospitals and NHS trusts are required to have in place.”
The judge said: “It is not clear to me what ‘unique approach’ Fortitude Law is claiming, but as yet I have not seen a single claim that realised even half of £100,000 despite claims pitched well in excess of that sum and (in the case of HL) in excess of three quarters of a million pounds if one includes PSLA.” HL’s case settled for £30,000.
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