Keisha Hackett

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

Keisha Hackett, a solicitor admitted in 2016 and director of Hackett Law Limited (a consultant to Duncan Lewis Solicitors), failed to assess an asylum-seeker client's eligibility for legal aid and instead charged him privately. She caused or allowed the client to pay fees (£300 cash, £2,400, and £550 for counsel) into her personal bank account, failed to account to DLS, and failed to return £150 surplus from counsel's fees. The Tribunal found breaches of multiple Principles and Accounts Rules, found she lacked integrity, and found her conduct dishonest under the Ivey test in respect of allegations 1.2 and 1.3. Proceeding in her absence, the Tribunal found high culpability and harm, no exceptional circumstances, and ordered her struck off the Roll with costs of £14,375 (reduced from £22,775 claimed).

Duties found breached:

• No improper use of client money
• No taking unfair advantage
• Proper basis for allegations

Aggravating factors:

• Dishonesty proved on two occasions
• Lack of integrity on two occasions
• Deliberate and calculated conduct for personal financial gain
• Took advantage of a vulnerable asylum seeker with little knowledge of the legal system
• Limited concealment of wrongdoing only revealed after client complaint
• Ought to have known conduct breached obligations to protect public and profession's reputation
• Lacked genuine insight (insisted on retaining £1,340.33 'profit costs')
• Did not voluntarily notify the Regulator

Mitigating factors:

• Otherwise unblemished record
• Positive character testimonials
• Some open and frank admissions
• Relatively modest sums involved
• Misconduct not over a protracted period
• Reimbursed DLS £3,359.77 of the £4,700 paid to Client A
• Difficult personal circumstances (divorce, sole carer of young son, working part-time)