Stuart Nuttall
Allegation / charges
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Dishonesty, Lack of Integrity, SRA Principles 2011, SRA Principles 2019
Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision
Stuart Nuttall, a solicitor admitted in 1997 (not holding a practising certificate at the relevant time), faced three allegations all found proved in his absence. Allegation 1.1: in November 2018 he obtained a £5,000 corporate loan for his company Sentium Group Limited by misrepresentation, impersonating a fellow director (MP) and electronically signing MP's signature as guarantor without consent. Allegation 1.2: on 10 December 2021 he falsely represented to Counsel's clerk that he had authorised payment of Counsel's fees (£1,200) when he had not. Allegation 1.3: between July 2020 and September 2021 he failed to co-operate with the SRA's investigation. The Tribunal expressly found dishonesty (applying Ivey) in respect of Allegations 1.1 and 1.2. Finding no exceptional circumstances, the Tribunal struck him off the Roll and ordered costs of £7,603.
Duties found breached:
- Cooperate openly with regulators
- Diligence and timeliness
- Integrity
- Proper basis for allegations
- Uphold public trust in the profession
Aggravating factors:
- Conduct was financially motivated, calculated and deliberate
- Impersonation of a fellow director and falsification of his signature
- Harm caused to co-director MP, who was made a personal guarantor without knowledge
- Dishonesty found in respect of two allegations
- Failure to co-operate with the SRA while actively engaged in litigation during the same period
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