R T Lloyd and P Wilson

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

Two solicitors, partners in Lloyd Wilson (later merged with Alsters), retained £53,375.38 of client money held for a company. In 1998 they issued a bill for £25,000 plus VAT without sending a bill or notice to the client, transferred client funds to office account, and placed the balance in a joint building society account used to defray business expenses. When the company's Liquidator enquired, the First Respondent wrote two misleading letters denying holding any money. The Respondents admitted the allegations, including dishonesty. The Tribunal found dishonesty of the worst kind relating to client funds and ordered both struck off the Roll, jointly and severally liable for costs of £3,356.04.

Duties found breached:

• Avoid wasting the court's time
• Honesty
• No improper use of client money
• No baseless or threatened misconduct report
• No improper solicitation or touting

Aggravating factors:

• Dishonesty relating to money held on client account, described as of the worst kind
• Not a single temporary aberration but multiple withdrawals over a period of time
• True position disclosed only when pressed by the Liquidator
• Client funds were sacrosanct and knowingly and dishonestly taken
• Company creditors and shareholders could have been harmed

Mitigating factors:

• Long unblemished careers in the law
• First Respondent's ill-health at the relevant time which may have impaired judgement
• Expressions of shame and remorse
• Admissions of the allegations including dishonesty