Mantas Montvydas
Employee
609890

Decision - Employee-related decision

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

Outcome date: 19 July 2016

Published date: 3 July 2016

Firm details

Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome

Name: Ward Legal (UK) Limited

Address(es): Wyke Chambers, 7 Silver Street, Hull, HU1 1HT

Firm ID: 597336

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Decision details

Mantas Montvydas, a person who is or was involved in legal practice but is not a solicitor.

Section 43 Solicitors Act 1974 (as amended)

The Facts:

Mantas Montvydas, a person who is not a solicitor, was employed as a trainee solicitor by Ward Legal (UK) Limited, Wyke Chambers, 7 Silver Street, Hull, HU1 1HT. Ward Legal was intervened into by the SRA on 11 December 2015. Mantas Montvydas was found to have made improper transfers from the firm's client account to the office account, misled the forensic investigation officer and overcharged on two probate matters.

Mantas Montvydas is not currently employed in a legal practice.

Finding:

Mantas Montvydas, who is or was involved in a legal practice (as defined by section 43 (1A) of the Solicitors Act 1974), but is not a solicitor, has occasioned or been a party to, with or without the connivance of a solicitor, an act or default in relation to a legal practice which involved conduct on his part of such a nature that in the opinion of the Society it would be undesirable for him to be involved in a legal practice in one or more of the ways set out below.

Order

To make a section 43 order that with effect from the date of the letter or email notifying Mantas Montvydas of this decision:

• (i) no solicitor shall employ or remunerate him in connection with his/her practice as a solicitor;
• (ii) no employee of a solicitor shall employ or remunerate him in connection with the solicitor’s practice;
• (iii) no recognised body shall employ or remunerate him;
• (iv) no manager or employee of a recognised body shall employ or remunerate him in connection with the business of that body;
• {v) no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit him to be a manager of the body; and
• (vi) 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 a Society permission.

This order is subject to a statutory right of review to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.