Asiya Nasim Kaleem

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

The Respondent, a solicitor and COLP/head of Civil Litigation at Alison Law Solicitors LLP, signed a Future Fund scheme declaration on 27 January 2021 confirming that the firm held £1 million from a private investor in its client account when it did not. This led to release of £1 million of public funds. The Tribunal found breaches of Paragraph 1.4, Principle 2 and Principle 5 (lack of integrity), holding she failed to scrutinise her non-solicitor supervisor's assurance that the investor's 2017 funds satisfied the requirement. The Tribunal expressly found her conduct was NOT dishonest (accepting she relied on her employer's explanation) and found the alternative recklessness allegation not proven. She was fined £15,001, made subject to a two-year Restriction Order, and ordered to pay £25,000 costs (reduced from £39,523.35 given the SRA's partial success).

Duties found breached:

• Integrity
• Not mislead third parties or opponents
• Uphold public trust in the profession

Aggravating factors:

• Failed to reply to Future Fund's emails clarifying the position and/or raising the alarm to mitigate risk
• Harm had a causative effect on the public purse
• Only partial, not complete, insight shown

Mitigating factors:

• Single episode in a previously unblemished career
• Open and frank admissions at an early stage
• Cooperation with the SRA
• Conduct was not planned and harm was unintentional
• Medical evidence filed on her behalf (though not applicable at material time)
• Excessive reliance placed on supervisor under whom she had worked for several years