Disciplinary Record - Lynda Jane Slaughter

Decision - Fined

Outcome: Fine

Outcome date: 15 April 2021

Published date: 14 April 2022

Firm details

Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome

Name: LA Law Limited

Address(es): Formerly of 8th Floor Telecom House, 125-135 Preston Road, Brighton East Sussex BN1 6AF.

Firm ID: 596802

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Decision details

Decision by an Adjudicator.

Financial penalty - £9,750

Costs - £1,875

Disqualified under S.99.

Reasons/basis

Lynda Slaughter, who is not a solicitor, was Head of Finance and Administration (HOFA) at LA Law Limited whose head office was at 8th Floor Telecom House, 125- 135 Preston Road, Brighton, BN1 6AF between 10 August 2017 and 20 December 2017, when the firm closed.

It was found that:

1. LA Law Limited, of which Ms Slaughter was the HOFA, received monies for the purpose of discharging professional disbursements, and failed to either pay those disbursements to the appropriate recipients and/or, in the absence of such payments, transfer the monies from the office account to the client account. By doing so Ms Slaughter:
   1. breached Principle 6, 7, 8 and 10 of the SRA Principles 2011 and
   2. breached rule 1.2, 14.1, 17.(1)(b)(ii), 17(1)(c) of the SRA Accounts Rules 2011.
2. Ms Slaughter failed adequately to carry out her role as a HOFA and in doing so breached Section 92 of the Legal Services Act 2007.
3. Ms Slaughter was made subject to a disqualification order under section 99 of the Legal Services Act 2007. This order prevents her from hlding any of the following roles in a licensed body:
   • Head of Legal Practice
   • Head of Finance and Administration
   • A manager
   • An employee.
4. Ms Slaughter was directed to pay a financial penalty of £9,750 and costs of £1,875.