Michael Robert Thompson

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

Mr Thompson, a partner at Marchant Harries, was found to have acted dishonestly and without integrity in two conveyancing transactions. In relation to Property 1, he caused a trainee solicitor to amend and re-amend the date on a mortgage deed and submit it to Companies House and the Land Registry to conceal an out-of-time registration, and to give false answers to Land Registry requisitions. In relation to Property 2, he himself amended a mortgage deed date in similar circumstances. His defence that he had been trained by his former training principal to amend executed documents was rejected. The Tribunal found all allegations proved including dishonesty (breaches of Principles 2 and 6), found no exceptional circumstances, struck him off the Roll, and ordered him to pay costs of £22,200.

Duties found breached:

• Integrity
• Uphold public trust in the profession

Aggravating factors:

• Misconduct was deliberate, repeated and calculated
• Acted in a supervisory capacity and put a trainee in a difficult position
• Sought to blame Mr Rabaiotti and Person A
• Series of actions to perpetuate the initial amendment
• High culpability and breach of trust

Mitigating factors:

• Self-reported (drew attention to Property 2)
• Previously unblemished career
• Well-regarded, competent solicitor with strong character references
• Co-operated fully with the SRA and made some admissions
• Misconduct not over a long period
• Developing insight and low risk of repetition
• No personal or professional financial gain