Disciplinary Record - Andrew Warburton

Decision - Employee-related decision

Outcome: Control of non-qualified staff (Section 43 / Section 99 order)

Outcome date: 18 August 2023

Published date: 30 August 2023

Firm details

Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome

Name: Slater & Gordan UK Limited

Address(es): 58 Mosley Street Manchester M2 3HZ

Firm ID: 591058

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Decision details

Who does this decision relate to?

Mr Andrew Warburton whose last known address was in Bury.

Summary of decision

The SRA has disqualified Mr Warburton from holding any of the following roles in law firms regulated by the SRA:

• Head of Legal Practice
• Head of Finance and Administration
• A manager
• An employee.

The facts of the case

Mr Warburton, who is not a solicitor, was a legal adviser on behalf of personal injury clients in the disputed claims team of Slater and Gordon UK Limited, 58 Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3HZ (the firm) from 16 May 2016 until his resignation on 31 March 2021.

It was found that Mr Warburton misled the court by proceeding to a court hearing when he had served proceedings on the wrong solicitors for the defendant and had become aware of this error. He failed to deal with directions from the court on several files. He failed to inform his firm that costs orders had been made against it.

Mr Warburton's conduct was serious. It was found that he lacked integrity and undermined public trust and confidence in the profession. His actions indicated a repeated pattern of behaviour and caused significant harm or risk of harm to his clients' interests.

Our decision on sanction

Mr Warburton's conduct breached relevant duties that applied to him as an employee of the firm, namely SRA Principles 2, 5 and 7 (2019), and paragraphs 1.4 and 4.2 to the SRA Code of Conduct for Firms (2019).

It was found that it would be undesirable for Mr Warburton to act as a head of legal practice, head of finance and administration, a manager or an employee of a body licensed in accordance with section 99 of the Legal Services Act 2007.

Mr Warburton was disqualified from holding any of these roles.

Mr Warburton was also ordered to pay the SRA's costs of £600.