Andrew Walsh
Employee
611610

Decision - Employee-related decision

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

Outcome date: 20 July 2016

Published date: 23 August 2016

Firm details

No detail provided:

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Decision details

In the matter of Andrew Walsh, a person who is or was involved in a legal practice but is not a solicitor.

Section 43 Solicitors Act 1974 (as amended)

The facts

Andrew Walsh, a person who is not a solicitor, was the management accountant for the firm Ashton Fox Solicitors Limited based in Preston between April 2012 and April 2013. During his consultancy with the firm, Mr Walsh was found to have utilised the signature of another director of the firm without his consent. His conduct was found to have breached SRA Principle 2.

Finding

Mr Walsh is or was involved in a legal practice (as defined by section 43 (1A) of the Solicitors Act 1974) but is not a solicitor and has occasioned or been 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 any of the ways set out in the order below.

Order

To make a section 43 order that with effect from the date of the letter or email notifying Andrew Walsh 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.