Jimoh Adun

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

Jimoh Adun, sole principal of Nieko Solicitors holding LAA contracts in crime, mental health and prison law, submitted 443 improper claims to the Legal Aid Agency totalling £994,396.70 between December 2010 and October 2014, based on fabricated cases involving non-existent clients, hearings that never took place and fictitious tribunal members. He personally submitted all the claims and benefitted financially. He also abandoned his practice, removed/failed to produce client files and computers, and failed to notify the SRA of the firm's closure, prompting intervention. The Tribunal found all allegations proved beyond reasonable doubt, including dishonesty. It found no exceptional circumstances and ordered him struck off the Roll, with costs of £14,000 (not to be enforced without leave of the Tribunal).

Duties found breached:

• Act in the client's best interests
• Cooperate openly with regulators
• Integrity
• No improper use of client money
• No taking unfair advantage
• Orderly wind-down and contingency cover
• Proper basis for allegations
• Uphold public trust in the profession

Aggravating factors:

• Dishonesty alleged and proved
• Conduct deliberate, calculated and repeated over a period of years
• Told the LAA he was not responsible, seeking to conceal wrongdoing
• Must have known conduct breached obligations to protect public and reputation of profession
• Extensive impact: LAA lost almost £1m, staff lost jobs, vulnerable/detained clients' service disrupted, client files not recovered