Disciplinary Record - Wayne Anthony Lewis

Barrister Status:

Self Employed

Called:

Nov 1982

Inn:

Lincoln's Inn

Hearing type:

Disciplinary Tribunal (5 Person)

Decision date

15/02/2024

Breach details:

Professional misconduct, contrary to Rules rC8 and/or rC73 and/or rC9.1, and/or rC125.1 and/or Core Duty 2 and/or Core Duty 3 (Integrity), and/or Core Duty 5 of the Bar Standards Board Handbook (9th Edition).

Offence details:

Mr Wayne Lewis, a barrister instructed on a direct access basis acted in a manner which was likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public places in him or in the profession, and/or failed to act in the best interests of his client in that he failed to keep his direct access client, KW, formally informed of the change of agreed work to be done.

Mr Lewis, failed to act in the best interests of his client, and/or failed to act with integrity and/or acted in a manner which was likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public places in him or in the profession when Mr Lewis received, controlled or handled client money apart from what KW paid him for services provided. Mr Lewis, Received, held, and controlled and/or handled client money

I. In the sum of £322,989.18.
II. Paid £322,989.18 into a bank account held in the name of Wayne Lewis t/a Access Lawyers an account for which Mr Lewis had control
III. Used client money to make payments which were not agreed by the client and were not made on behalf of the client.

Mr Lewis, failed to act in the best interests of his client, and/or acted in a manner which was likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public places in him or in the profession, in that Mr Lewis received, controlled or handled client money apart from what the client paid for in terms of services provided by Mr Lewis. Namely on 17 October 2019, Mr Lewis, held and/or handled client
money in the sum of £250,000 by transferring it into a personal account held in his personal name.

Mr Lewis, failed to act in the best interests of his client, and/or failed to act with integrity and/or acted in a manner which was likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public places in him or in the profession, and/or acted in a way which could be seen by the public to undermine his integrity in that Mr Lewis failed to repay client money to his direct access client.

Mr Lewis, failed to act in the best interests of his client, and/or failed to act with integrity and/or acted in a manner which was likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public places in him and/or acted in a way which could be seen by the public to undermine his integrity in that on various dates, namely 16 March 2021, 22 June 2021, 15 July 2021, 28 July 2021 Mr Lewis misled the Legal Services Ombudsman when he informed it that he would repay his former direct access client the sum of £14,000, when Mr Lewis knew or ought to have known that he was unable to, or would not, pay this amount.

Sanction:

Suspended from practice for 18 Months with effect from 28 days from 15 February 2024. Prohibition thereafter to accepting or carrying out public access work until provision to the BSB of satisfactory proof that he has retaken mandatory training to undertake public access work (Sentence still to take effect)

Costs:

£¤5,443.00

Status:

Appeal pending, sentencing stayed