Ravinderjit Gataurda
Employee
227003

Decision - Employee-related decision

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

Outcome date: 2 August 2021

Published date: 6 September 2021

Firm details

Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome

Name: Richardson & Co (closed on 31 August 2010)

Address(es): Phoenix House, 3 South Parade, Leeds, LS1 5QX

Firm ID: 472094

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Decision details

IN THE MATTER OF: Ravinderjit Gataurda of Leeds, Yorkshire

A person who is or was involved in a legal practice but is not a solicitor.

THE FACTS

Mr Gataurda was employed at Richardson & Co (a sole practitioner in a recognised sole practice) whose head office was at Phoenix House, 3 South Parade, Leeds, LS1 5QX. The firm closed on 31 August 2010.

It was found that Mr Gataurda, while working in the property department at Richardson & Co in 2009:

1. knowingly backdated eight declarations of trust;
2. incorrectly signed a declaration of trust in the name of another solicitor; and
3. incorrectly witnessed three declarations of trust by giving false details of his employment.

It was also found that Mr Gataurda lied when asked about execution of the declarations of trust in 2019.

In doing so, it was found that Mr Gataurda had acted dishonestly.

FINDING

Ravinderjit Gataurda, 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 his part 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 Ravinderjit Gataurda of Leeds, Yorkshire 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.