Chidi Umezurike

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

Chidi Umezurike, sole principal, COLP and COFA of CK Law Limited, faced five allegations. The Tribunal found all proved, including express dishonesty on allegations 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.5. He gave false/misleading answers to an SRA officer concealing a judgment debt and financial notices (1.1); a client account cash shortage of at least £20,433.10 arose from failing to pay/transfer professional disbursements and improper client-to-office transfers (1.2); he made up to 14 improper transfers to keep the Firm within its overdraft (1.3); failed to comply timeously with a statutory Production Notice (1.4, recklessness not found); and made retrospective changes to ledgers/cashbooks to disguise improper transfers (1.5). Given the multiple dishonesty findings and absence of exceptional circumstances, the Tribunal struck him off the Roll and ordered costs of £39,599.08.

Duties found breached:

• Act in the client's best interests
• Act only on proper, lawful instructions
• Cooperate openly with regulators
• Firm governance, systems and compliance
• Integrity
• No conflict between current clients
• No improper use of client money
• Uphold public trust in the profession

Aggravating factors:

• Multiple findings of dishonesty
• Deliberate, calculated and repeated misconduct over a period of time
• Attempted to conceal wrongdoing by retrospectively amending financial records
• Misled the regulator during the investigation
• Direct impact on experts and counsel, some of whom had to issue proceedings to be paid
• Knew conduct breached obligation to protect the public and reputation of the profession

Mitigating factors:

• Previously unblemished career
• Limited insight shown through admission of facts, Accounts Rules breaches and recklessness
• Some cooperation with the SRA
• No personal enrichment claimed
• Breaches arose in a difficult financial period for the Firm