Derildene Erika Elizabeth Brown

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

The Respondent, admitted in 2001, practised as sole principal of D Brown Associates while falsely telling the Law Society she was merely an employee/caseworker and that a "Mr David Olatunde Kwame-Brown" (who was neither a solicitor nor a barrister) was the principal. She failed to register the practice, lacked qualifying indemnity insurance, practised when not qualified to supervise and unsupervised, breached conditions on her practising certificate (including continuing to practise after her approved supervisor left), failed to pay the ARP premium, and failed to reply to Law Society correspondence. The Tribunal found all allegations substantiated and, applying the Twinsectra test, found dishonesty. She was struck off and ordered to pay fixed costs of £8,000.

Duties found breached:

• No improper communication with the court
• Prompt accounting and return of money
• Professional indemnity insurance
• Hold a current practising certificate
• Not misrepresent regulated status

Aggravating factors:

• Dishonest misrepresentations to the Law Society
• Invented a fictitious principal/supervisor who was not a real solicitor or barrister
• Continued to practise in breach of practising certificate conditions
• Failed to engage with the regulatory process / ignored correspondence

Mitigating factors:

• Admitted the allegations to the Applicant and did not contest them
• Indicated she had "buried her head in the sand"
• Apparently adjudicated bankrupt