Andrew Herbert Wettern

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

Andrew Herbert Wettern, an experienced solicitor and partner at Watson Farley & Williams, faced three allegations (two others withdrawn). He accepted two undisclosed personal payments (£13,301.57 and £10,000) from a client representative in conflict of interest situations, failing to advise independent legal advice or notify his partners. Most seriously, he dishonestly created a false paper trail to make a supplemental agreement appear executed before January 2005, placing documents he knew to be false (with backdated letters and compliment slips) on his firm's file, whilst aware of an ongoing investigation. The Tribunal, applying the Twinsectra test, found dishonesty. He was struck off the Roll and ordered to pay £20,000 costs.

Duties found breached:

• Disclose material information to client
• No conflict between current clients
• No baseless or threatened misconduct report

Aggravating factors:

• Dishonesty committed knowing there was an ongoing investigation into the dealings between Fiona and Standard
• Conduct at the top end of the scale of misconduct causing immense damage to the profession
• Considerable periods of time elapsed before repaying the payments

Mitigating factors:

• Respondent reported himself to the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors
• Admitted his actions at an early stage before any harm was caused
• Conduct was out of character and product of panic
• No actual harm came to another person or company; payments repaid
• Self-suspended from practice since 2005 and suffered severe depression
• Positive character references
• Experienced and well-respected solicitor