Michael Ramsay

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

The Law Society complained that Michael Ramsay breached Regulations 18, 19, 24, 28 and 33 of the 2017 Money Laundering Regulations following a 2018 inspection of his incorporated practice, Ramsay & Co. Solicitors & Estate Agents. The Respondent raised a preliminary plea that he was not subject to the 2017 Regulations at the relevant time. The Tribunal rejected the Complainers' argument that the Respondent was operating as a sole practitioner (and thus an independent legal professional), holding that the practice was a corporate body with separate legal personality and the definition of ILP used 'firm or sole practitioner' disjunctively. Following its earlier decision in Law Society v Clancy, the Tribunal held that because the 2017 Regulations had not been incorporated into the 2011 Practice Rules until 3 May 2019 (Rule B6.23 still referred to the revoked 2007 Regulations), and all transactions occurred between 26 June 2017 and 3 May 2019, there were no relevant averments of professional misconduct. Both questions were answered in the negative, the preliminary plea upheld and the Complaint dismissed with expenses awarded to the Respondent. No misconduct or dishonesty was found.