(unnamed respondent)

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

Laura Hudson appealed the Law Society's decision to take no action on her conduct complaints against solicitor Stephen Kennedy, who had written to the executor (her estranged brother) disclosing her confidential enquiry as a prospective client about her late mother's estate. The Tribunal found the PCSC had erred in fact and law by failing to consider the duty of confidentiality owed to a prospective client. It quashed that determination and upheld the first complaint as unsatisfactory professional conduct, confirming the no-action determination on the second (communication) complaint. The Second Respondent was directed to pay £500 compensation for inconvenience; no expenses awarded; standard publicity ordered naming the solicitor and appellant only. No dishonesty was found.

Duties found breached:

• No acting against a former client
• Uphold public trust in the profession

Aggravating factors:

• The appellant had specifically expressed confidentiality concerns and noted she was estranged from the executor
• Confidentiality is a fundamental obligation with potential to damage the reputation of the profession

Mitigating factors:

• No evidence of bad faith or recklessness
• The breach was likely an inadvertent error without stopping to consider capacity