Andrew John Davies

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

Andrew John Davies, sole equity partner at Robert Meaton & Co, faced nine allegations of misconduct. The SDT found proved (beyond reasonable doubt) eight allegations including improper transfers of client money to his personal account (£270,398.17 and £205,714.20 via fictitious bank User IDs), failure to keep accounting records, failure to replace a minimum cash shortage of £833,450.04, misleading the Forensic Investigation Officer with falsified statements and forged emails, misleading clients with falsified bank statements, providing forged building regulation certificates, and forging a QC's opinion and fabricating a clerk's email. Allegation 2.8 (misleading chambers) was not proved due to a drafting issue. The Tribunal made express findings of dishonesty on allegations 2.5, 2.6, 2.7 and 2.9 under the Twinsectra test. The Respondent did not attend; the hearing proceeded in his absence. He was struck off the Roll and ordered to pay costs of £65,867.40 (including substantial forensic investigation costs).

Duties found breached:

• Proper basis for allegations
• No improper communication with the court
• Not mislead third parties or opponents
• No conflict between current clients
• No improper use of client money

Aggravating factors:

• Conduct motivated by personal financial gain
• Planned and deliberate, calculated and repeated misconduct that appeared to be escalating
• Took client money and paid it into his personal account; theft, forgery and fabrication of evidence involved
• Concealed wrongdoing and went to significant efforts to cover his tracks
• Abused position of trust as senior and only equity partner and co-executor
• Misled clients, employees and the Regulator
• Foreseeable and intended harm; clients lost substantial sums and claims made against compensation fund