Disciplinary Record - Paul Dawson

Decision - Employee-related decision

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

Outcome date: 11 May 2021

Published date: 3 June 2021

Firm details

Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome

Name: Carters Solicitors LLP/Plexus Legal LLP

Address(es): 33 Ropergate Pontefract WF8 1LE/ Josephs Well Hanover Walk Leeds LS3 1AB

Firm ID: 566519/638317

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Decision details

IN THE MATTER OF

Paul Aaron Dawson a person who is or was involved in legal practice but is not a solicitor.

FACTS

Paul Aaron Dawson was employed at Carter Solicitors LLP at 33 Ropergate Pontefact WF8 1LE between 23 November 2014 to 8 February 2019.

Paul Aaron Dawson is a Chartered Legal Executive.

While at Carter Solicitors LLP Mr Dawson misled his clients as to the status of money that was paid to the firm. Carter Solicitors LLP asked him to leave in February 2019.

Mr Dawson then applied for a job with Plexus Legal LLP at Josephs Well Hanover Walk Leeds LS3 1AB. He worked at Plexus Legal LLP between April 2019 and August 2019 when he was dismissed for gross misconduct. The reason for his dismissal was he had failed to advise them of the complaint or that he had been dismissed by Carter Solicitors LLP.

He was found to have acted dishonestly in respect of the above.

FINDINGS

Paul Aaron Dawson 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:

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 the SRA’s permission.

Mr Dawson was also ordered to pay the SRA’s costs of £600 in investigating this matter.