Keisha Hackett

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

Keisha Hackett, a solicitor and director of Hackett Law Limited working as a consultant for Duncan Lewis Solicitors, failed to assess an asylum-seeking client's eligibility for legal aid, causing him to fund his case privately. She caused the client to pay fees (£300 cash, £2,400 and £550) into her personal/business account, failed to account to DLS, and failed to return £150 of overpaid counsel's fees. The Tribunal found breaches of the Accounts Rules and Principles 2, 4, 5, 6 and 10, and found dishonesty proven beyond reasonable doubt in respect of allegations 1.2 and 1.3. The Respondent did not attend; the matter proceeded in her absence. She was struck off the Roll and ordered to pay costs of £14,375 (reduced from £22,775 claimed).

Duties found breached:

• Proper basis for allegations
• No taking unfair advantage
• No improper use of client money

Aggravating factors:

• Dishonesty on two occasions and lack of integrity
• Deliberate and calculated conduct for personal financial gain
• Took advantage of a vulnerable asylum seeker client
• Concealment of wrongdoing which came to light only after client's complaint
• Lacked genuine insight (retained £1,340.33 'profit costs')
• Did not voluntarily notify the Regulator

Mitigating factors:

• Otherwise unblemished record
• Positive character references
• Degree of open and frank admissions
• Relatively modest sums involved and misconduct not over a protracted period
• Made good some of the loss by reimbursing DLS £3,359.77
• Difficult personal circumstances (marital breakdown, sole carer of young son)