Michael Coventry

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

The respondent, a sole practitioner admitted in 1970, took loans from clients Mr and Mrs D (totalling over £14,916) and gave them undertakings to repay, without advising them to obtain independent legal advice, breaching the fiduciary conflict-of-interest principle. He breached those undertakings by failing to make the promised capital payments, and failed to respond to correspondence from the clients' new solicitors and the Solicitors Complaints Bureau. The Tribunal found all allegations substantiated and ordered him struck off the Roll and to pay costs of £1,105.64. No express finding of dishonesty was made in this matter (a prior July 1995 decision had also declined to find dishonesty, treating his conduct as impropriety).

Duties found breached:

• Complaints procedure and handling
• No improper solicitation or touting
• No own-interest conflict
• Prompt accounting and return of money

Aggravating factors:

• Serious breach of fiduciary relationship between solicitor and client
• Breach of solicitor's undertaking, undermining the reputation of the profession
• Multiple claims made on the Law Society's Compensation Fund (£8,711.37 paid, further claims pending)
• Failed to respond to repeated enquiries from the Bureau and other solicitors
• Judgment obtained against him for £10,181.24 unpaid