Home » Areas of Practice » Professional Discipline

Professional Discipline

Jeremy is head of the St Pauls Chambers Professional Disciplinary team. Members of the team are recognised legal experts specialising in conduct of all professional regulation. Jeremy has particular experience in the following areas of work.

Solicitors Disciplinary; representing a number of firms of solicitors and individual partners and other members of staff faced with investigations by the Solicitors Regulation Authority [SRA]. Advice has been given to major law firms, medium size practices and sole practitioners on a range of issues that include acting with integrity, acting in the best interests of clients, and various compliance including conflicts of interest, self reporting, mortgage fraud and financial services.

Jeremy is currently instructed in 4 separate cases before the SDT. In two of these. He represents a number of solicitors as a specialist disciplinary lawyer, who face allegations in respect of non payment of the Assigned Risks Pool premium [ARP] and associated run off cover, following the administration of their solicitors practice. He is also advising a number of firms on a the new Referral Fee ban , new CFA and DPAs and project to set up an ABS.

Recent published decisions.

Maistry v SRA [2012] EWHC 3041 Administrative Court Cranston J. appeal against small fine

E Williams, S Williams, P Carter and D Maxwell. Law Soc Gazette 27.9.12 ARP non payment. Small fines exceptional circumstances

Harris and Co Law Soc Gazette 4.1.13 Intervention

J Jacobs Law Soc Gazette 8.4.13 Sole practitioner targeted by fraudsters. Mitigation accepted in full. Small fine.

Seminars

Together with Brian Rodgers of Reliance and John Oakland and Paul Slater of Oakland Counsulting PLC, Jeremy has conducted seminars in Manchester and Leeds on current SRA legal and regulatory issues. Jeremy covered Referral Fees, ABS, Stamp Duty Land Tax issues. Please call for futher information as to future seminars.

Police Disciplinary; Inquests relating to death in custody including representing 10 officers, another where he represented 3 Inspectors. Currently instructed in a team of 4 barristers to represent 3 retired superintendants, Duckenfield, Greenwood and Marshall at the Hillsborough Inquest, due to start in April 2014.

The inquest will cover a wide range of issues relating to crowd safety, medical issues around the 3.15 cut off time imposed in the first inquest, the Popplewell Inquiry, the Stuart Smith scrutiny and the Hillsborough Indepenent Panel. There are two investigations currently taking place, looking into the events leading up to and including the disaster, and also how evidence, was gathered collated and presented at the first inquest.

General Medical Council; Cases before both the Interim Orders Panel [IOP] and the Fitness To Practise [FTP] tribunal . These include highly contested hearings involving allegations of dishonesty and clinical underperformance where the panel has drawn back from erasure following detailed representations. Jeremy is currently representing a number of specialists who are facing differing issues before the GMC.

Financial Services Authority; representing a number of IFA’s in both criminal and disciplinary proceedings. Prosecutions have been contested around the country where deposit taking and collective investments schemes have been investigated. A recent success before the Regulatory Decisions Committee [RDC] in a substantial case involving self certificating mortgages is one of only two to have been withdrawn following representations.

Accountants; Following involvement in serious fraud cases over twenty years, members of chambers have become familiar with accounting rules and principles and have represented accountants before the Chartered Institute of Accountants of England and Wales disciplinary committee. Jeremy is a member of the Accountancy and Actuarial Discipline Board [AADB], the body that investigates and where appropriate, holds disciplinary tribunals in public interest cases.

General Council for Social Care; Jeremy acts as a legal advisor to the GSCC and has appeared in a number of cases including IOPs, full hearings and a meeting of the registrations committee.

Recent cases:

• Consultant Dermatologist before the GMC
• Solicitor facing allegations in relation to mortgage fraud
• Self reporting following take over of in house litigation team
• Consultant Eye Surgeon advice
• Staff Grade Locum facing dishonesty and other practice issues
• Successfuly represented 4 partners of Law firm in ARP issues
• ARP waiver appeal
• Advice on ARP waiver application
• Advice on SRA investigation into misleading indemnity insurer

 

 

CONTACT

Leeds - St Pauls Chambers
2nd Floor Trafalgar House, 29 Park Place, Leeds, LS1 2SP

London - Gough Square Chambers
6 - 7 Gough Square, London, EC4A 3 DE

T: 0844 2722322   F: St Pauls Chambers