Lisa Dawn Noonan

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

Lisa Dawn Noonan, an assistant solicitor, failed to open a file and register a client's CICA claim, which became statute-barred. Rather than reporting her mistake, she sent untrue and misleading texts and emails to the client's husband over almost five years suggesting the claim was progressing. The Tribunal found breaches of Principles 2 and 6 and, applying the Twinsectra test, found dishonesty proved. Despite mitigation including self-reporting, contrition and difficult personal circumstances, the Tribunal found no exceptional circumstances and ordered her struck off, with costs of £2,276.92.

Duties found breached:

• Integrity
• Uphold public trust in the profession

Aggravating factors:

• Dishonesty proved
• Deliberate, calculated and repeated dishonest conduct over a long period (almost five years)
• Repeated lying to client's husband constituting a breach of trust
• Concealment designed to protect her career/employment

Mitigating factors:

• Self-reported to firm
• Gained insight while on maternity leave
• Genuine insight, admissions and contrition
• Full participation and compliance with directions
• Newly qualified with no litigation experience in this type of work at the time
• Difficult personal circumstances including serious illness and death of a close family member
• Not found to be dishonest in character generally
• No financial gain and very little financial harm to client