A solicitor has been struck off the roll after admitting that he edited the contents of an electronic mail chain to make it seem he had handled a consumer matter extra effectively.
Jonah David Michael, admitted in 2011, was a director within the residential conveyancing division at London agency Lawrence Stephens Solicitors. He admitted allegations together with dishonesty and lack of integrity.
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal judgment handled the case on the papers. In line with the judgment, the misconduct came about over three months whereas Michael was working at house ‘towards a background of non-public problem’. Nonetheless it mentioned the difficulties skilled didn’t represent distinctive circumstances.
Mitigation put ahead on Michael’s behalf mentioned: ‘The respondent made it clear via his time on the agency that he wanted different legal professionals to assist him or in any other case to have present casework taken off his desk, all of which was ignored. All through his time on the agency, he was working remotely from house and by no means acquired to bodily meet his colleagues.’
When the problems had been raised at a digital assembly, Michael emailed the agency to resign with speedy impact.
The tribunal, in approving the sanction agreed between Michael and the Solicitors Regulation Authority, mentioned strike off was ‘the one acceptable and proportionate sanction’ given the ‘admission of dishonesty and the absence of remarkable circumstances’.
The judgment provides: ‘As a common commentary, the tribunal urged any solicitor whose work was being impacted by private issues to hunt well timed and acceptable assist earlier than issues escalated past their management.’
The tribunal additionally ordered Michael to pay prices of £5,000.
