Max Kingsley (Moshe Keshet)

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

The respondent, a solicitor's clerk and not a qualified solicitor, persistently held himself out as a solicitor and was convicted in 1987 under s.21 of the Solicitors Act 1974 (fined £200, costs £100). Between 1987 and 1988 he made multiple mortgage applications to the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, National Bank of Canada and Norwich and Peterborough Building Society, falsely declaring his occupation as solicitor and overstating his income and length of employment, supported by forged employer references on Baskin Ross & Co. headed paper. The Tribunal found the allegations substantiated and held his dishonesty to be very grave, making the Section 43(2) order and ordering costs of £3,176.97 inclusive.

Duties found breached:

• Proper basis for allegations
• Not mislead third parties or opponents
• Personal probity and fitness to practise

Aggravating factors:

• Behaviour at the highest end of the scale of seriousness
• Use of forged references
• Persistent and repeated conduct including a prior conviction
• Failure to disclose contemporaneous loan applications