A team manager based in Cardiff has been removed from the profession for misleading a complaining client.
The team manager in question reportedly embellished attendance notes to hide the actual conversations he had with the complainant. Despite his ten years of experience in the profession, they were dismissed by the firm and made subject to a Solicitors Regulation Authority order preventing him from working for any other regulated firm without permission.
The team manager, who managed a new client unit, reportedly spoke with the complainant in 2023 and agreed to escalate their concerns. It has now been revealed that this was not carried out, meaning the client had to follow up almost a month later. The team manager reportedly then misled the complainant about the progress that was being made.
Telephone attendance notes of both phone calls with the client (that deliberately and inaccurately reflected the true extent of the dialogue) were then created. The SRA later remarked that this was a deliberate attempt to conceal his failings.
Following an internal investigation, the team manager in question was dismissed in spring of 2024. On completion of the investigation, the SRA commented that the team manager’s conduct was “dishonest” and deemed him “undesirable to be involved in a law firm.” As a result, the team manager in question was ordered to pay £300 in costs.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority further concluded that “[the team manager] was willing to mislead a client and falsify attendance notes in order to mislead colleagues rather than admit a mistake.”
“A person willing to do this is not suitable to work in legal practice. If such conduct were to be repeated in future, it would pose a risk to clients and public trust.”
Source: here.
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