Disciplinary Record - Florence Lungu

Decision - Employee-related decision

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

Outcome date: 12 November 2021

Published date: 16 November 2021

Firm details

Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome

Name: Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP

Address(es): 4 More London Riverside, London, SE1 2AU

Firm ID: 557896

Firm or organisation at date of publication

Name: Royds Withy King LLP

Address(es): 5-6 Northumberland Buildings, Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2JE

Firm ID: 449247

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Decision details

IN THE MATTER OF: Florence Lungu of Swindon, Wiltshire

A person who was involved in a legal practice but is not a solicitor

THE FACTS

Between 3 July 2017 and 22 February 2019, Ms Lungu was employed as a paralegal by Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP, previously known as Bond Dickinson LLP, whose head office is at 4 More London Riverside London SE1 2AU. She was previously employed as an apprentice paralegal with the firm between 21 September 2015 and 2 July 2017.

It was found that between 11 July 2018 and 1 January 2019, Ms Lungu recorded time on matters for a client when she had not carried out the work in question and on two occasions inflated the time which she had spent carrying out an activity. This resulted in the client being overcharged by £711 which the firm subsequently reimbursed. It was found that Ms Lungu’s conduct was dishonest.

Ms Lungu was ordered to pay the SRA’s costs of £600 in investigating this matter.

FINDING

Ms Lungu, who is not a solicitor, was involved in a legal practice and has occasioned or been a party to an act or default which involved such conduct on her part that it is undesirable for her to be involved in a legal practice in any of the ways described in the order below.

ORDER

To make an order pursuant to section 43 that with effect from the date of the letter or email notifying Ms Lungu of this decision:

1. no solicitor shall employ or remunerate her in connection with his/her practice as a solicitor;
2. no employee of a solicitor shall employ or remunerate her in connection with the solicitor's practice;
3. no recognised body shall employ or remunerate her;
4. no manager or employee of a recognised body shall employ or remunerate her in connection with the business of that body;
5. no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit her to be a manager of the body; and
6. no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit her to have an interest in the body

except in accordance with the SRA’s prior written permission.