Anwaar Ul Haq & Sridevi Veldandi

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

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal found all allegations proved against both former partners of Faith & Co Solicitors, who failed to attend and were heard in absence following substituted service. The firm was used as a vehicle for widespread mortgage fraud across seven conveyancing transactions where completion monies were diverted to unconnected third parties instead of redeeming existing charges, causing approximately £2.8m in Compensation Fund claims. The Tribunal made express findings of dishonesty against the First Respondent (a registered foreign lawyer) under the Twinsectra test regarding misuse of client funds and false undertakings/statements. Also proved were failures to pay indemnity premiums, breaches of Solicitors' Accounts Rules, failure to produce documents under section 44B, failure to co-operate, and failure to effectively manage the firm. No dishonesty was alleged against the Second Respondent (a solicitor), but she was found to have failed to act with integrity and abandoned the firm, leaving no admitted solicitor to supervise conveyancing. The First Respondent was struck off the Register of Foreign Lawyers and the Second Respondent struck off the Roll of Solicitors, with costs of £22,500 ordered jointly and severally.

Duties found breached:

• Proper basis for allegations
• No improper communication with the court
• No improper use of client money
• Firm governance, systems and compliance
• Professional indemnity insurance
• Report serious misconduct of others
• No baseless or threatened misconduct report

Aggravating factors:

• Dishonesty of the First Respondent
• Misconduct deliberate and repeated over a period of time
• Respondents knew or ought reasonably to have known conduct breached obligations to protect public and reputation of profession
• Second Respondent's abandonment of the firm
• Second Respondent's complete failure to engage with the Applicant
• Premeditated fraud on a massive scale with approximately £2,800,000 in Compensation Fund claims