Yiota Constantinides

Decision - Employee-related decision

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

Outcome date: 26 January 2024

Published date: 15 May 2024

Firm details

Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome

Name: Bird & Bird LLP

Address(es): 12 New Fetter Lane, LONDON, EC4A 1JP, England

Firm ID: 497264

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Decision details

Who does this decision relate to?

Panayiota (Yiota) Constantinides whose last known address was in Cyprus. A person who is or was involved in a legal practice but is not a solicitor.

Summary of decision

The SRA has put restrictions on where and how Ms Constantinides can work in an SRA regulated firm. It was found that:

Ms Constantinides, who is not a solicitor, was involved in a legal practice and has occasioned or been a party to an act or default which involved such conduct on her part that it is undesirable for her to be involved in a legal practice in any of the ways described in the order below.

The facts of the case

Between 7 June 2021 and 3 July 2023, Ms Constantinides was employed by the London office of Bird & Bird LLP (the firm) as a Junior Compliance Officer. Her role involved carrying out and completing statutory and regulatory anti money laundering checks and client conflict checks.

We found that between February and March 2023, Ms Constantinides submitted three overtime claims to the firm, which did not accurately reflect either the times she worked or the dates the work was completed, and further stated to have worked overtime hours when she did not work during those hours.

We found that her conduct was dishonest.

Decision on outcome

An order pursuant to section 43(2) of the Solicitors Act 1974 was imposed because Ms Constantinides' conduct meant that it was undesirable for her to be involved in a legal practice without the SRA's prior approval.

Ms Constantinides' conduct was serious because on three occasions she dishonestly claimed for overtime she was not entitled to claim. Ms Constantinides was also ordered to pay the SRA's costs of £600.

What our Section 43 order means

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