Liaqat Ali
Allegation / charges
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Firms 2019, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Dishonesty, Failures, Lack of Integrity, SRA Principles 2019
Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision
Liaqat Ali, owner and director of BK Solicitors Limited, was found to have participated in or facilitated the receipt and onward transfer of over £1.1 million through BK's client account some 20 months after the firm had closed, in circumstances bearing the hallmarks of fraud or other illegality (Allegation 1.1). He provided false and misleading information to the SRA during interviews on 21 June and 6 July 2022 (Allegation 1.2), and failed to effect an orderly closure of BK in a timely manner (Allegation 1.3). The Tribunal made express findings of dishonesty in relation to Allegations 1.1 and 1.2. Preliminary applications for an adjournment and to admit late expert medical evidence were refused. All allegations were proved, and the Tribunal found no exceptional circumstances to justify a lesser sanction than striking off. The Respondent was struck off the Roll and ordered to pay costs of £30,000.
Duties found breached:
- Good faith and courtesy to colleagues
- No conflict between current clients
- Non-discriminatory acceptance and cab-rank
Aggravating factors:
- Finding of dishonesty
- Respondent's level of experience (13 years) and senior position as director/COLP/COFA
- Should have known his conduct was a material breach of professional obligations
Mitigating factors:
- Previously unblemished career with no prior disciplinary findings
Codes & rules applied
Duties engaged
- Act only on proper, lawful instructions
- Advise on alternatives, settlement and outcome
- AML and crime-prevention compliance
- Avoid wasting the court's time
- Cease acting on client perjury or disobedience
- Client-care and engagement terms
- Client confidentiality
- Competence
- Complaints procedure and handling
- Comply with and respect court orders
- Comply with rules of foreign jurisdictions
- Continuity and handover of representation
- Cooperate openly with regulators
- Costs and fee transparency to client
- Diligence and timeliness
- Disclose adverse law to the court
- Disclose material information to client
- Disclose referrals, commissions and benefits
- Fair dealing with unrepresented parties
- Fair, reasonable and lawful fees
- File and record retention
- Firm governance, systems and compliance
- Full disclosure on ex parte applications
- Good faith and courtesy to colleagues
- Handle inadvertently received material
- Hold a current practising certificate
- Honour professional undertakings
- Keep client informed and respond promptly
- Maintain competence and CPD
- Manage conflict arising mid-matter
- No abuse of process or coercive powers
- No acting against a former client
- No baseless or threatened misconduct report
- No conflict between current clients
- No direct dealing with represented party
- No improper benefit, loan or bequest
- No improper communication with the court
- No improper fee-sharing or partnership
- No improper questioning of witnesses
- No improper solicitation or touting
- Non-discriminatory acceptance and cab-rank
- No obstruction or victimisation of reporters
- No own-interest conflict
- No payments to witnesses on evidence
- No personal opinion or familiarity with court
- No prejudicial publicity for pending cases
- No standing bail or surety for client
- No taking unfair advantage
- No tampering with or coaching witnesses
- Not mislead the court
- Not mislead third parties or opponents
- Not misrepresent regulated status
- Orderly wind-down and contingency cover
- Pay instructed practitioners and agents
- Professional indemnity insurance
- Proper basis for allegations
- Proper termination and return of instructions
- Prosecutorial duty of disclosure
- Prosecutorial fairness and impartiality
- Protect capacity and vulnerable clients
- Protect legal professional privilege
- Report serious misconduct of others
- Safeguard documents and limit liens
- Self-report to the regulator
- Supervise staff and delegated work
- Truthful, non-misleading advertising