Decision record
Kirna Devi Madhas
Allegation / charges
Breaches
Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision
Kirna Devi Madhas, sole director and solicitor at MHK/GSD Law, faced seven allegations arising from personal injury litigation. The Tribunal, proceeding in her absence, found all allegations proved (Allegation 1.4 in part) to the balance of probabilities standard. She failed to notify ATE insurers of negative counsel advice, failed to inform clients of adverse costs orders leaving them liable for defendants' costs, failed to comply with LeO awards, submitted inflated/false costs schedules, produced a forged CFA to the court, failed to provide files, and made material non-disclosures on a PII proposal form. Express findings of dishonesty were made in relation to Allegations 1.4, 1.5 and 1.7 applying the Ivey test, along with findings of lack of integrity. Culpability and harm were assessed as very high, with no exceptional circumstances under Sharma/James. She was struck off the Roll and ordered to pay costs of £40,000.
Duties found breached:
- Disclose adverse law to the court
- Full disclosure on ex parte applications
- Proper basis for allegations
- No improper use of client money
Aggravating factors:
- Dishonesty found across multiple allegations
- Deliberate, calculated, repeated and systematic conduct over lengthy period
- Took advantage of vulnerable clients who had suffered personal injuries
- Financially motivated by greed
- Harm spread across multiple clients causing financial loss and personal distress
- Blamed others and made unfounded malicious complaint against fellow professional (costs lawyer)
- Misled the regulator and failed to co-operate
- No genuine insight or admissions
Mitigating factors:
- No previous disciplinary findings / hitherto unblemished career
Duties engaged
- Disclose adverse law to the court
- Full disclosure on ex parte applications
- Proper basis for allegations
- Honesty
- Integrity
- No bribery or improper gifts
- Personal probity and fitness to practise
- Uphold public trust in the profession
- No unlawful discrimination or harassment
- Act in the client's best interests
- Advise objectively, not a mere conduit
- Keep client informed and respond promptly
- Complaints procedure and handling
- No improper use of client money