Respondent AM

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

Respondent AM, a recognised sole practitioner admitted in 1978, was found (via an Agreed Outcome on the papers) to have committed multiple SRA Accounts Rules and Principles breaches between 2015 and 2022, including failing to keep accounting records and reconciliations, failing to remedy issues raised by reporting accountants (manifest incompetence), failing to keep client money separate, failing to deliver Accountant's Reports, making improper client-to-office transfers, signing an SPA with clauses he could not fulfil, and failing to notify clients of the firm's sale. The SRA withdrew the lack of integrity (Principle 5) allegations as not proportionate. No dishonesty was alleged or found. The Tribunal rejected the parties' proposed 3-month suspension alone as insufficient and imposed a 3-month suspension plus indefinite practice conditions, and ordered costs of £23,000.

Duties found breached:

• Not mislead third parties or opponents
• Segregate client money
• No improper use of client money
• Accounting records, reconciliation and reports
• Honour professional undertakings

Aggravating factors:

• Misconduct continued over a period of time (a number of years)
• Misconduct was repeated
• Respondent was an experienced solicitor with high culpability

Mitigating factors:

• Conduct was inadvertent rather than deliberate
• Full co-operation with the SRA
• Frank and open admissions
• Only one client suffered actual loss
• No allegation or finding of dishonesty or lack of integrity
• No attempt to conceal wrongdoing
• Reliance on bookkeeper who died in 2018; impact of Covid-19 pandemic
• Reported concerns about purchaser to the SRA