Thomas Ponsonby
Employee
670601

Decision - Agreement

Outcome: Regulatory settlement agreement

Outcome date: 4 May 2021

Published date: 13 May 2021

Firm details

Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome

Name: Fletchers Solicitors Ltd

Address(es): 54 Hoghton Street, Southport PR9 0PQ

Firm ID: 223398

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by agreement.

Decision details

Thomas Ponsonby, a former employee of Fletchers Solicitors Limited (the Firm), agrees to the following outcome to the investigation of his conduct by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA):

to the SRA making an order under section 43 of the Solicitors Act 1974 (a section 43 order)

1. in relation to him that from the date of the agreement:
   1. no solicitor shall employ or remunerate him in connection with his practice as a solicitor
   2. no employee of a solicitor shall employ or remunerate him in connection with the solicitor's practice
   3. no recognised body shall employ or remunerate him
   4. no manager or employee of a recognised body shall employ or remunerate him in connection with the business of that body
   5. no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit him to be a manager of the body
   6. no recognised body or manager or employee of such body shall permit him to have an interest in the body 

   except in accordance with the SRA's prior permission.

2. to the publication of this agreement.
3. he will pay the costs of the investigation of £300.

Reasons/basis

Mr Ponsonby was employed as a paralegal in the personal injury department of Fletchers Solicitors Ltd. His work was supervised by a solicitor.

On or around 14 February 2019, Mr Ponsonby signed a consent form to obtain personnel records. He purported the signature to be that of his client. He sent it to the defendant’s solicitors enclosing a letter stating, “Please find enclosed your form of authority for personnel records duly signed by our client”. The defendant’s solicitors subsequently sent the consent form to the employer.