Disciplinary Record - Anbananden Sooben

Decision - Control of practice

Outcome: Termination of suspension of PC/registration

Outcome date: 2 October 2024

Published date: 8 November 2024

Firm details

Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome

Name: Duncan Ellis Solicitors

Address(es): Suite 1 Fairland House, 380 Uxbridge Road, Ealing, London, W5 3 LH

Firm ID: 661060

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Decision details

The suspension of Mr Sooben's 2023/2024 practising certificate has been terminated subject to the following conditions:

1. Mr Sooben may not act as a manager or owner of an authorised body.
2. Subject to condition 1, Mr Sooben may act as a solicitor only as an employee where the role has first been approved by the SRA.
3. Mr Sooben may not act as a compliance officer for legal practice (COLP) or compliance officer for finance and administration (COFA) for any authorised body.
4. Mr Sooben may not hold or receive client money, or act as a signatory to any client or office account or have the power to authorise transfers from any client or office account.
5. Mr Sooben shall immediately inform any actual or prospective employer of these conditions and the reasons for their imposition.

The following terms are defined in the SRA Glossary: authorised body, client money, client and office account, compliance officer, COLP and COFA employee, manager, owner.

Reasons/basis

The SRA publishes regulatory decisions when it considers it to be in the public interest. I consider, in accordance with the SRA’s guidance on publishing regulatory and disciplinary decisions, to be transparent and to maintain public confidence in the regulatory system, that it is necessary to publish these conditions. There are no factors which would support a decision not to publish by reference to the guidance.

Decision - Closure

Outcome: Intervention

Outcome date: 12 February 2024

Published date: 14 February 2024

Firm details

Firm or organisation at date of publication and at time of matters giving rise to outcome

Name: Duncan Ellis Solicitors

Address(es): Suite 1 Fairland House, 380 Uxbridge Road, Ealing, London, W5 3LH

Firm ID: 661060

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Decision details

To intervene into the recognised sole practice of Anbananden Sooben

Reasons/basis

1. There is reason to suspect dishonesty by Mr Sooben in connection with his practice as a solicitor (paragraph 1(1)(a)(i) of Schedule 1- Part I to the Solicitors Act 1974).
2. Mr Sooben has failed to comply with the SRA Accounts Rules, The SRA Code of Conduct for Firms, and the SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors which are rules made under sections 31 and 32 Solicitors Act (paragraph 1(1)(c) of Schedule 1 – Part I to the Solicitors Act 1974).

Intervening agents

Chris Evans of Lester Aldridge LLP, Russell House, Oxford Road, Bournemouth, BH8 8EX has been appointed as the intervening agent.

For enquiries please call 01202 786 341 or email Intervention.Enquiries@LA-Law.com