Alerts

Warning: Documents misusing the name Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher UK LLP

12 November 2021

'Power of Attorney’ documents have been sent falsely claiming to be from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher UK LLP.

What is the scam?

Members of the public have received a ‘Power of Attorney’ document falsely claiming to be from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher UK LLP. The purported Power of Attorney document seen by the SRA claims to relate to lottery winnings and the payment of a 'cash donation' to the recipient. 

The Power of Attorneys seen by the SRA misuse the names of genuine solicitors and the name and registered postal address of a genuine firm of solicitors (see below).

Is there a genuine firm or person?

The SRA does authorise and regulate a genuine firm of solicitors Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher UK LLP. The London office address is at Telephone House, 2-4 Temple Avenue, London, EC4Y 0HB.

The SRA authorise and regulates a genuine solicitor called Alan Samson who  is a partner at the genuine firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher UK LLP. The SRA also authorises and regulates  a genuine solicitor called Charles Geffen who was a former partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher UK LLP.

The genuine firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher UK LLP and the genuine Alan Samson and Charles Geffen have confirmed they have no connections to the documents referred to in the alert above.

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.