Simon Plant; Ajaz Ali

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

Mr Ali, a solicitor and Managing Partner/COLP/COFA at Kenneth Jones Legal Ltd, acted (with Mr Plant, whom he supervised) for two elderly clients between 20 August and 8 November 2018 on the sale of their residential property at a significant undervalue (£52,000, barely above its 1992 value), with the buyer having paid £260,000 for a neighbouring property days earlier. The Tribunal found the allegation proved in full: failure to undertake adequate enquiries into the transaction's red flags, failure to advise the clients adequately about the risks and consequences of the sale, and failure to obtain Client B's consent for Client A to give instructions on his behalf. The clients were left with reduced funds and no protected right to remain; Client B was later evicted/rehoused. The Tribunal found the conduct reckless. No express finding of dishonesty was made.

Duties found breached:

• Non-discriminatory acceptance and cab-rank

Aggravating factors:

• Conduct found to be reckless
• Clients were vulnerable (elderly; Client A seriously ill with cancer)
• Mr Ali was Senior/Managing Partner, COLP and COFA and acted as supervising partner