Valentine Chantel Michele
Petit
Employee
654641
Decision - Employee-related decision
Outcome: Control of non-qualified staff (Section 43 / Section 99 order)
Outcome date: 23 June 2019
Published date: 30 July 2019
Firm details
Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome
Name: Dentons & Co
Address(es): 18th Floor, Boulevard Plaza, Tower 2, Burj Khalifa District, DUBAI
Firm ID: 311213
Outcome details
This outcome was reached by SRA decision.
Decision details
In the matter of:
Valentine Chantel Michele Petit, a person who is or was involved in legal practice but is not a solicitor, is now subject to section 43 Solicitors Act 1974 (as amended).
Reasons/basis
The Facts:
Between 18 September 2016 and 8 October 2017 Ms Petit was employed by Dentons & Co as a senior marketing and business development executive in the firm’s Dubai office at Level 18 Boulevard Plaza 2, Burj Khalifa District, PO Box 1756 Dubai.
During that time, she forged a number of documents including: receipt vouchers for medical visits; a salary certificate and two salary statements on Dentons & Co’s letterhead; five sick leave certificates; and two receipts from a hospital. She fraudulently claimed sick pay from Dentons & Co.
Her conduct was found to be dishonest.
Other information
FINDING
I find that Ms Petit 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 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 her part of such a nature that in the opinion of the Society it would be undesirable for her 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 Ms Petit 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 a Society permission.