Disciplinary Record - Valentine Chantel Michele Petit

Decision - Employee-related decision

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

Outcome date: 24 June 2019

Published date: 31 July 2019

Firm details

Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome

Name: Dentons & Co

Address(es): 18th Floor, Boulevard Plaza, Tower 2, Burj Khalifa District, DUBAI

Firm ID: 311213

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Decision details

In the matter of:

Valentine Chantel Michele Petit, a person who is or was involved in legal practice but is not a solicitor, is now subject to section 43 Solicitors Act 1974 (as amended).

Reasons/basis

The Facts:

Between 18 September 2016 and 8 October 2017 Ms Petit was employed by Dentons & Co as a senior marketing and business development executive in the firm’s Dubai office at Level 18 Boulevard Plaza 2, Burj Khalifa District, PO Box 1756 Dubai.

During that time, she forged a number of documents including: receipt vouchers for medical visits; a salary certificate and two salary statements on Dentons & Co’s letterhead; five sick leave certificates; and two receipts from a hospital. She fraudulently claimed sick pay from Dentons & Co.

Her conduct was found to be dishonest.

Other information

FINDING

I find that Ms Petit 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 her part of such a nature that in the opinion of the Society it would be undesirable for her 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 effect from the date of the letter or email notifying Ms Petit 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 a Society permission.