A solicitor has been struck off and ordered to pay costs of £18,000 by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) after acting dishonestly and favouring the best interests of one client over another in two conveyancing matters.
In five allegations brought by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), the tribunal found that Angela Stanton, while practising as a conveyancer at Beverley Morris Solicitors, engaged in conduct that was “dishonest” and “lacked integrity” over the sales of two properties.
Stanton was acting on behalf of client B, a property developer for whom she had previously acted in multiple transactions, and client A between 9 June and 17 July, 2020, the tribunal heard.
While dealing with the registration of a legal charge over a property (Property C), of which both client B and A jointly owned, Stanton “failed to undertake adequate customer due diligence, obtain Client A’s authority or consent, identify that Witness D benefited from the loan, and protect money due to Client A”.
This matter was reported to the SRA on 1 September 2024.
Between 22 July, 2021 and 16 January, 2023, in connection with the sale of a second property (Property F), of which client E and client B jointly owned, Stanton preferred client B’s interests over those of client E’s, the tribunal heard, and made unauthorised use and transfer of sale proceeds, as well as providing “misleading and inaccurate information” to client E by way of supplying misleading or altered financial statements and information about their remaining funds.
Following this conduct, client E applied to the SRA Compensation Fund on 10 August 2023.
The SRA found that both instances breached the regulators code.
Stanton admitted to all five allegations and the tribunal was satisfied the threshold of seriousness had been met.
The SDT concluded that the solicitor was “dishonest and lacked integrity” while providing legal services to Client E and lacked integrity in respect of her dealings with Client A and found that her misconduct was “deliberate and repeated”.
Stanton did not obtain any personal advantage from her conduct, the tribunal noted and had been “quick to accept her own wrongdoing” while cooperating fully with the regulator.
Parties concluded that Stanton should pay costs in the sum of £18,000 and be struck off the roll of solicitors.
