Alejandro Emilio Verdu Haro
Allegation / charges
Breaches, Code of Conduct 2011, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, SRA Principles 2011, SRA Principles 2019
Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision
Mr Haro, a solicitor and Spanish Abogado at Buckles Solicitors LLP, made misleading statements to his clients (Clients A and B) between 2017 and 2020 about the status of their claim against Anfi Sales/Resorts S.L., and in a 2017 letter to the defendant misrepresented that the claim was with the Court. He admitted the allegations and admitted dishonesty in respect of emails sent to clients from 2018 onwards. Dishonesty allegations relating to matters before 2018 (including the 2017 letter) were withdrawn. The matter was resolved by Agreed Outcome on the papers. The Tribunal found the misconduct included dishonesty that was deliberate, calculated and repeated over time, and ordered that he be struck off the Roll and pay costs of £20,000.
Duties found breached:
Aggravating factors:
- Misconduct included dishonesty
- Conduct was deliberate, calculated and repeated
- Misconduct continued over a period of time
Mitigating factors:
- Admitted the allegations in full (save dishonesty before 2018)
- Admitted dishonesty for emails from 2018 onwards
- Cooperated via Agreed Outcome
Codes & rules applied
Duties engaged
- Act only on proper, lawful instructions
- Advise on alternatives, settlement and outcome
- Avoid wasting the court's time
- Cease acting on client perjury or disobedience
- Client-care and engagement terms
- Client confidentiality
- Competence
- Complaints procedure and handling
- Comply with and respect court orders
- Comply with rules of foreign jurisdictions
- Continuity and handover of representation
- Cooperate openly with regulators
- Costs and fee transparency to client
- Diligence and timeliness
- Disclose adverse law to the court
- Disclose material information to client
- Disclose referrals, commissions and benefits
- Fair dealing with unrepresented parties
- Fair, reasonable and lawful fees
- Full disclosure on ex parte applications
- Good faith and courtesy to colleagues
- Handle inadvertently received material
- Hold a current practising certificate
- Honour professional undertakings
- Keep client informed and respond promptly
- Maintain competence and CPD
- Manage conflict arising mid-matter
- No abuse of process or coercive powers
- No acting against a former client
- No baseless or threatened misconduct report
- No conflict between current clients
- No direct dealing with represented party
- No improper benefit, loan or bequest
- No improper communication with the court
- No improper fee-sharing or partnership
- No improper questioning of witnesses
- No improper solicitation or touting
- Non-discriminatory acceptance and cab-rank
- No obstruction or victimisation of reporters
- No own-interest conflict
- No payments to witnesses on evidence
- No personal opinion or familiarity with court
- No prejudicial publicity for pending cases
- No standing bail or surety for client
- No taking unfair advantage
- No tampering with or coaching witnesses
- Not mislead the court
- Not mislead third parties or opponents
- Not misrepresent regulated status
- Pay instructed practitioners and agents
- Professional indemnity insurance
- Proper basis for allegations
- Proper termination and return of instructions
- Prosecutorial duty of disclosure
- Prosecutorial fairness and impartiality
- Protect capacity and vulnerable clients
- Protect legal professional privilege
- Report serious misconduct of others
- Safeguard documents and limit liens
- Self-report to the regulator
- Truthful, non-misleading advertising