Ian Burleton

Decision - Employee-related decision

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

Outcome date: 26 February 2021

Published date: 14 June 2021

Firm details

No detail provided:

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Decision details

IN THE MATTER OF

Ian Burleton a person who was involved in a legal practice but is not a solicitor.

The Facts

On 16 September 2019, Mr Burleton was convicted upon his own admission in the Central London Magistrates’ Court of fraud by abuse of position, contrary to section 4 of the Fraud Act 2006.

On 18 November 2019 Mr Burleton received the following sentence from Southwark Crown Court:

• A 12-month prison sentence suspended for 24 months.
• 180 hours of unpaid work to be completed by 17 November 2020
• A 30 day rehabilitation order

Mr Burleton’s conviction related to conduct which occurred while he was employed by Seyfarth Shaw (UK) LLP, of CityPoint, One Ropemaker Street, London, EC2Y 9AW as a revenue controller/accounts coordinator in the finance team.

Between April and December 2018, Mr Burleton arranged for 13 payments to be made from the firm into his personal bank accounts. These payments totalled £31,970.47. The firm summarily dismissed Mr Burleton on or around 21 December 2018.

FINDING

Mr Burleton, who is not a solicitor, was involved in a legal practice and has been convicted of a criminal offence which is such that it is undesirable for him to be involved in a legal practice in any of the ways described in the order below.

ORDER

To make an order pursuant to section 43 that with effect from the date of the letter or email notifying Mr Burleton 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 the SRA’s permission.

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