Disciplinary Record - Mark Wilson

Decision - Employee-related decision

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

Outcome date: 1 April 2019

Published date: 16 April 2019

Firm details

Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome

Name: Blake Morgan LLP

Address(es): Harbour Court, Compass Road, Portsmouth, PO6 4ST

Firm ID: 613715

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Decision details

Disciplinary Decision

Reasons/basis

Mark Wilson who is not a solicitor, was employed as an office supervisor by Blake Morgan LLP at the firm’s Oxford branch at Seacourt Tower, West Way, Oxford OX2 0FB between September 2016 until April 2018 when he was summarily dismissed for gross misconduct.

During his employment, Mr Wilson falsified three overtime claims forms. One for himself and two for fellow colleagues.Mr Wilson was found to have been dishonest and breached Principle 2 of the SRA Principles 2011.

Mr Wilson was made subject to an order pursuant to section 43(2) of the Solicitors Act 1974. He was also given a written rebuke and ordered to pay costs of £600.

Mr Wilson is currently not working for an SRA regulated firm.

Other information

In the matter of:

Mark Wilson, a person who is or was involved in legal practice but is not a solicitor, is now subject to section 43 Solicitors Act 1974.

The Facts:

Mark Wilson who is not a solicitor, was employed as an office supervisor by Blake Morgan LLP at the firm’s Oxford branch at Seacourt Tower, West Way, Oxford OX2 0FB between September 2016 until April 2018 when he was summarily dismissed for gross misconduct.

During his employment, Mr Wilson falsified three overtime claims forms. One for himself and two for fellow colleagues.

Mr Wilson was found to have been dishonest and breached Principle 2 of the SRA Principles 2011.

Finding:

Mr Wilson is or was involved in a legal practice (as defined by section 43 (1A) of the Solicitors Act 1974) but is not a solicitor and has occasioned or been a party to, with or without the connivance of a solicitor, an act or default in relation to a legal practice which involved conduct on his part of such a nature that in the opinion of the Society it would be undesirable for him to be involved in a legal practice in any of the ways set out in the order below.

Order:

To make a section 43 order that with immediate effect from the date of the letter or email notifying Mr Wilson of this decision:

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

except in accordance with a Society permission.