Ayoola Adebambo Olaitan

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

Solicitor Ayoola Adebambo Olaitan, a partner in Lawson, Turner and Gilbert and First Conveyancing, faced multiple allegations of breaches of the Solicitors Practice Rules and Solicitors Accounts Rules, including client account shortages, unexplained payments, failure to return a £265,456 mortgage advance and failure to redeem a £180,000 mortgage. The Tribunal heard the matter in his absence, finding he had deliberately absented himself. All allegations were found substantiated and dishonesty was expressly found under the Twinsectra test. He was struck off the Roll and ordered to pay costs (less £10,000 ordered against four co-respondents).

Duties found breached:

• No improper communication with the court
• Honesty
• Advise on alternatives, settlement and outcome
• No conflict between current clients
• No improper use of client money
• Prompt accounting and return of money
• Accounting records, reconciliation and reports
• Comply with rules of foreign jurisdictions

Aggravating factors:

• Abuse of fiduciary relationship and position of trust
• Approximately £445,456 of client money went missing
• Failure to return £265,456 mortgage advance when completion never took place
• Failure to redeem mortgage of approximately £180,000 despite undertaking
• Unallocated personal payment of £22,850.05 to estate agency of which he was a director
• Deliberately avoided engaging with proceedings and absconded abroad