Michael Robert Thompson

Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision

Michael Robert Thompson, a partner at Marchant Harries, was found to have caused a trainee solicitor (Person A) to amend and re-amend the date on a mortgage deed for Property 1 to conceal an out-of-time registration at Companies House, then to submit misleading responses to Land Registry requisitions. He also personally amended a mortgage deed date for Property 2 and submitted it to Companies House. The Tribunal found all allegations proved, including express findings of dishonesty under the Ivey test, rejecting his defence that he had been trained to do so. It found no exceptional circumstances and struck him off the Roll, ordering costs of £22,200.

Duties found breached:

• Integrity
• Uphold public trust in the profession

Aggravating factors:

• Misconduct was deliberate, repeated and calculated
• Breach of trust in causing a trainee solicitor to alter and submit documents
• Acting in supervisory capacity and placing trainee in a difficult position
• Blaming his former training principal (Mr Rabaiotti) and the trainee (Person A)
• Lack of full insight and continued placing of blame on others

Mitigating factors:

• Self-reported (drew attention to Property 2)
• Previously unblemished career and well-regarded competent solicitor
• Full co-operation with the SRA and some admissions
• Misconduct not over a long period
• Developing insight and low risk of repetition
• Significant personal and professional stress at the material time
• Positive character references