Graham
Hale
Non-lawyer manager
668482
Decision - Employee-related decision
Outcome: Control of non-qualified staff (Section 43 / Section 99 order)
Outcome date: 17 January 2022
Published date: 25 February 2022
Firm details
Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome
Name: Sampson Coward LLP
Address(es): St. Mary’s Chambers, 51 New Street, Salisbury, SP1 2PH
Firm ID: 556060
Outcome details
This outcome was reached by SRA decision.
Decision details
ORDER FOR PUBLICATION
IN THE MATTER OF: Graham Hale of Southampton, Hampshire
A person who is or was involved in a legal practice but is not a solicitor
THE FACTS
Between 19 August 2019 and 29 November 2019, Mr Hale worked as a locum residential property caseworker at Sampson Coward Solicitors whose head office is at St Mary’s Chambers, 51 New Street, Salisbury, SP1 2PH.
It was found that Mr Hale included information regarding the sale price on a Land Registry transfer deed that he knew was untrue. He did this to avoid the purchaser’s liability for SDLT. He advised the seller and purchase to engage in this conduct to avoid paying SDLT that was properly due on the transaction.
It was found that Mr Hale’s conduct was dishonest. Mr Hale was ordered to pay the SRA’s costs of £600 in investigating this matter.
FINDING
Mr Hale, who is not a solicitor, is or 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 Mr Hale of this decision:
- no solicitor shall employ or remunerate him in connection with his/her practice as a solicitor;
- no employee of a solicitor shall employ or remunerate him in connection with the solicitor's practice;
- no recognised body shall employ or remunerate him;
- no manager or employee of a recognised body shall employ or remunerate him in connection with the business of that body;
- no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit him to be a manager of the body; and
- 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 prior written permission.