David Haddow Campbell (1)

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

The Law Society alleged that solicitor David Haddow Campbell continued to act for a client (MDA) winding up his late father's (FDA's) estate as intestate despite knowing of an Italian will, that MDA and siblings colluded in a fraud to defeat charitable legacies, and that the Respondent failed to disclose this to the firm Balfour + Manson. At a preliminary hearing the Tribunal held that the Complaint proceeded on an unsupported assumption that a valid Italian will existed; the Complainers did not offer to prove a valid will existed and MDA had asserted the will was invalid as not signed before a Notary. The Tribunal found insufficient relevant facts to aver fraud or collusion, and therefore no basis for any disclosure obligation (privilege/confidentiality applied, and the fraud exception did not operate). It partially sustained the relevancy plea and deleted the fraud-related averments. It allowed proof to continue only on the narrower, sufficiently specified question of whether the Respondent improperly continued to act on instructions connected to the executry. The Complainers never alleged the Respondent himself was dishonest, and no dishonesty was found. The matter ultimately ended on 20 October 2023 when the Tribunal granted the Complainers leave to withdraw the Complaint, with no expenses due to or by either party.