Md Zahidul Islam; Zarina Shaheen Bostan; Nageena Choudhry; Mohammed Saleem
Allegation / charges
Code of Conduct for Firms 2019, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision
The SRA brought allegations against four respondents arising from the January 2020 sale of Silverman Peake LLP. The First Respondent (Md Zahidul Islam) purchased the Firm for £25,001 but funded by the Second Respondent (Zarina Bostan), an unadmitted trainee, under a Trainee-Principal Agreement giving her control of the Loughton office and accounts. The Tribunal found the First and Second Respondents breached Principles 2 and 5 and the Code of Conduct for Firms via the sale arrangements, and both breached the SRA Accounts Rules for failing to maintain proper accounting records and reconciliations. The Second Respondent also breached Principles 2, 5 and 7 and the Solicitors Code by accepting a Part 36 offer for client PA without instructions/authority and in an own-interest conflict. No express finding of dishonesty was made (only lack of integrity). Each of the First and Second Respondents was fined £10,001. The Second Respondent was additionally subject to practising restrictions (no sole practice, no partnership/membership, employment only with SRA approval), with leave to apply to lift after three years. All allegations against the Third and Fourth Respondents were dismissed; the Tribunal accepted their evidence that they had no knowledge of the TPA's terms and had been misled.
Duties found breached:
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