Emma
Beddows
Employee
640937
Decision - Employee-related decision
Outcome: Control of non-qualified staff (Section 43 / Section 99 order)
Outcome date: 18 April 2021
Published date: 13 May 2021
Firm details
Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome
Name: Kerwoods Solicitors LLP
Address(es): 7 Church Road Redditch B97 4AD
Firm ID: 596944
Outcome details
This outcome was reached by SRA decision.
Decision details
IN THE MATTER OF: Emma Beddows of Coseley, Bilston
A person who was involved in a legal practice but is not a solicitor
THE FACTS
It was found that Miss Beddows misappropriated £97,077.10 from a probate estate in or around September 2018 and fabricated a letter of gift dated 1 March 2017 in an attempt to conceal her conduct.
At the time of her misconduct, Miss Beddows was employed as a salaried partner at Kerwoods Solicitors LLP and was head of its private client department. Miss Beddows was employed by the firm until 16 October 2018 when it then closed.
Miss Beddows is currently self-employed and practises under the name of Plan Ahead Legal. Her business undertakes non-reserved legal work - in particular wills, trusts and powers of attorney.
FINDING
Miss Beddows, 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 her part that it is undesirable for her 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 Miss Beddows of this decision:
- no solicitor shall employ or remunerate her in connection with his/her practice as a solicitor;
- no employee of a solicitor shall employ or remunerate her in connection with the solicitor's practice;
- no recognised body shall employ or remunerate her;
- no manager or employee of a recognised body shall employ or remunerate her in connection with the business of that body;
- no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit her to be a manager of the body; and
- no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit her to have an interest in the body
except in accordance with the SRA's permission.
Miss Beddows was also ordered to pay the SRA's costs of £600 in investigating this matter.