Altaf Husen Bhurawala

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

Mr Bhurawala, sole director of Morgan Hall Solicitors, was found to have committed misconduct in relation to three clients. He proposed a benefit-fraud scheme to client MS to conceal a judgment debt payout from benefits authorities and created sham client care letter/CFA documents to support it (recorded covertly by MS). He failed to return £86,308.83 of client EN's money promptly, failed to advise her of risks of a high-interest (270% pa) unsecured loan to TOO, failed to protect her funds (no legal charge executed/registered), and substituted his own company SRL in her place to take the interest due to her. He also misrepresented to TOO that TOO was legally bound to repay £125,000 to SRL when no such interest obligation existed. The Tribunal found all allegations proved, including express findings of dishonesty regarding the MS scheme and sham documents. He was struck off the Roll and ordered to pay costs of £31,180.

Duties found breached:

• Act in the client's best interests
• Honesty
• Integrity
• No conflict between current clients
• No improper use of client money
• No taking unfair advantage
• Prompt accounting and return of money
• Uphold public trust in the profession

Aggravating factors:

• Proven dishonesty
• Deliberate, planned and calculated conduct
• Motivated in part by personal gain
• Used position as solicitor to take advantage of clients EN and TOO
• Devised a scheme amounting to benefit fraud and created sham documents
• Foreseeable harm to the profession

Mitigating factors:

• Scheme with MS was never carried into effect; no loss to public purse or to MS
• No profit taken from the MS scheme
• Suggested duress/threats from MS (though not reported to police)
• EN never queried delay or requested return of funds and suffered no loss
• 30-year career in the profession
• Ill health and impact of proceedings on health and marriage