Mia Branchette

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

Mia Branchette, a solicitor at Capsticks Solicitors LLP, was found to have made repeated untrue and misleading statements to her client CHS over a 9-month period regarding the progress of a debt recovery matter (falsely claiming a statutory demand had been served, letters and proceedings issued, and the court chased), and then to have made untrue and misleading statements to her employer (DF and HR manager SW) to conceal her failure to progress the matter. She claimed the file had been passed to a colleague, Solicitor X, who was in fact not employed at the Firm on the relevant dates. The Tribunal proceeded in her absence as she had voluntarily disengaged. Both allegations (breach of Principles 2 and 6) were found proved and the Tribunal made an express finding of dishonesty. Finding no exceptional circumstances, the Tribunal struck her off the Roll and ordered costs of £5,770.

Duties found breached:

• Integrity
• No conflict between current clients

Aggravating factors:

• Proven dishonesty
• Deliberate, calculated and repeated conduct over a 9-month period
• Concealment of failings through numerous false and misleading statements
• Blamed a former colleague (Solicitor X) for her own failings
• Suggested the client did not understand the court process when she knew this was untrue
• Suggested the Firm had failed to find documents she knew did not exist
• Caused harm to the client by preventing recovery of monies owed
• Harm to the reputation of the profession