Alerts

Warning: Tenancy agreement misusing the name and logo of Heslop & Platt

5 August 2021

An English commercial tenancy agreement has been prepared, misusing the name and logo of Heslop & Platt.

What is the scam?

A tenancy agreement has been prepared for a commercial property in England, misusing the name and logo of Heslop & Platt as a header on each page. The logo does not provide any other name, address, or contact details

Any such English tenancy agreement claiming to be from Heslop & Platt was not prepared by the genuine firm (see below).

Is there a genuine firm or person?

The SRA does authorise and regulate a genuine firm using the name Heslop & Platt, which is a branch office and trading name of Ashtons Legal (Head office SRA number: 45826). Heslop & Platt have confirmed that they are French law specialists and they do not undertake English leasehold transactions.  They have confirmed they have no genuine connection with the document referred to in the above alert.  

What should I do?

When a firm's or individual's identity has been copied exactly (or cloned), due diligence is necessary. If you receive correspondence claiming to be from the above firm(s) or individual(s), or information of a similar nature to that described, you should conduct your own due diligence by checking the authenticity of the correspondence by contacting the law firm directly by reliable and established means. You can contact the SRA to find out if individuals or firms are regulated and authorised by the SRA and verify an individual's or firm's practising details. Other verification methods, such as checking public records (e.g. telephone directories and company records) may be required in other circumstances.