Michael Fielding

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

Michael Fielding, a partner at Lawrence Graham, admitted in a June 2001 letter to having withdrawn very substantial sums from client funds without authority. A specimen list identified unauthorised payments for his personal benefit of £1,089,483, and the firm established a total loss including penalties and interest of £6,477,099. He was dismissed from the partnership, adjudicated bankrupt, and his name removed from the Roll voluntarily in 2002. The Respondent admitted the facts and did not appear. The Tribunal found the allegation substantiated, held this was misconduct at the most serious level, and expressly found he had dishonestly taken substantial client funds. He was prohibited from restoration to the Roll except by Tribunal Order and ordered to pay costs of £4,383.11.

Duties found breached:

• No taking unfair advantage

Aggravating factors:

• Misconduct at the most serious level
• Dishonest taking of substantial client funds
• Severe damage to the reputation of the profession
• Very large sums involved (specimen unauthorised payments of £1,089,483; total loss of £6,477,099)

Mitigating factors:

• Admitted the facts and documents