Elizabeth Catherine Nedin

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

Elizabeth Nedin, a solicitor at Donoghues Solicitors, concealed a client's (Person A) complaint from the Firm's COLP over a 23-day period. She intercepted the complaint, sent emails to the client purporting to be from the COLP, deleted emails, and made false statements that the file was being/had been reviewed. She did not attend the hearing, which proceeded in her absence. The Tribunal found all allegations proved, including express dishonesty under the Ivey test (finding her admissions to dishonesty equivocal but proving it on documentary evidence). Given the dishonesty and multiple findings of lack of integrity, and absent exceptional circumstances, she was struck off the Roll. Costs of £22,800 claimed were reduced by 50% to £11,400 due to her impecuniosity.

Duties found breached:

• Honesty
• Integrity
• Act in the client's best interests
• Non-discriminatory acceptance and cab-rank
• No conflict between current clients
• No baseless or threatened misconduct report

Aggravating factors:

• Conduct was dishonest
• Calculated and deliberate
• Repeated over a protracted period of 23 days
• Comprised a number of individual acts
• Respondent knew her conduct breached duty to protect the public and reputation of the profession
• Direct harm caused to Person A and serious harm to reputation of profession

Mitigating factors:

• Previous good character/unblemished record
• Demonstrated genuine insight
• Open and frank admissions to Firm, Applicant and Tribunal
• Full cooperation once misconduct came to light
• Possible underlying mental health issues (though unsupported by adequate medical evidence)