The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has shared details of penalties totalling £137,000 for breaches of anti-money laundering regulations, in decisions published since our last round-up in June.
Two firms received the highest fines of £25,000, with one receiving a penalty of £1995 – the lowest imposed by the SRA in its latest round of decisions.
Pothecary Witham Weld Solicitors of Pimlico in London and Birkenhead-based Haworth & Gallagher were each ordered to pay £25,000 for breaches including inadequate policies, controls and procedures (PCPs).
A desk-based review of Pothecary Witham Weld Solicitors identified a failure to assess the level of risk as required in three files, with a failure to establish and maintain PCPs between June 2017 and August 2023.
The firm made an early admission by submitting a self-report with respect to the PCP failure, had taken steps to rectify its failings, had cooperated with the inspection, and there was no evidence of harm to clients having taken place, the SRA noted in its decision.
An SRA investigation into Haworth & Gallagher found the firm had failed to maintain, review and update compliant PCPs between February 2018 and September 2025, and failed to carry out “adequate and timely” CMRAs in “a number of matters”. A further 89 files were identified where no CMRA had been completed.
There was no evidence of harm to consumers or third parties, a low risk of repetition, the firm had shown remorse and had not benefitted financially, the investigation found.
MTG Solicitors in London was fined £21,033 for failing to have in place an appropriate firm-wide risk assessment (FWRA) between June 2017 and April 2026 and failing to review and update its PCPs over the same period.
“The firm has since confirmed it has put in place measures to ensure continuing and future compliance, including creating a compliant FWRA and proliferation financing risk assessment, compliant PCPs, and registered its MLRO and MLCO role holders with us”, the SRA noted. “We are satisfied that the firm is now compliant with the MLRs 2017.”
Also over the £20,000 threshold was Swinburne Maddison LLP in Durham, which was fined £20,920 for failing to maintain full records of its risk assessment in 10 out of the 10 files reviewed by the SRA during an investigation.
The firm had brought itself into compliance by implementing a compliant CMRA document, ensuring a CMRA had been completed for all active files in-scope, providing training to fee earners and implementing new procedures.
“The risk of repetition is low”, the SRA said.
Croydon-based Atkins Hope Solicitors Limited (Dodd Lewis) received a penalty of £13,462 following a desk-based review by the SRA, which found the firm failed to establish and maintain documented PCPs between June 2017 and February 2019.
Between March 2019 and November 2025, the firm also failed to establish and maintain fully compliant PCPs.
The SRA said it had assessed the nature of the conduct as more serious as it spanned an eight-year period, but the risk of harm was found to be low.
The lowest fine – £1995 – was issued to Fulchers of Farnborough, which the SRA found to have failed to establish and maintain compliant PCPs between June 2017 and May 2026, following a desk-based review.
The firm has taken steps to rectify its failings and improve its AML control environment, the SRA said, and there was no evidence of harm to clients.
In other published decisions, Pert & Malim, Grantham, was fined £4,978 for failing to have a FWRA in place between June 2017 and June 2026 and failing to establish and maintain fully compliant PCPs for the same period.
Brar & Co Ltd in Newcastle Upon Tyne was fined £6,750 for failing to have an appropriate FWRA in place between June 2017 and December 2025, and failing to sufficiently assess the level of risk in six out of six files reviewed by the SRA.
Wilson Bird Limited of Aylesbury was fined £4,044 for a lack of an appropriate FWRA between July 2017 and February 2024, and inadequate PCPs between July 2017 and October 2025.
KTP Solicitors in Pontypridd received a £5,617 penalty for failing to have an inadequate FWRA in place between June 2017 and June 2026, while Smith & Graham was fined £6,380 for the same breach between June 2017 and April 2026.
And Gateshead firm Mulcahy Smith Limited was issued with a penalty of £2,137 for deficiencies in its PCPs, FWRAs and client and matter risk assessments (CMRAs) across a period beginning in July 2013 and ending in July 2025.
