By John Hyde2021-04-15T10:27:00+01:00
A solicitor who oversaw a property sale between a couple at a significant undervalue has been fined for acting where there could have been a conflict.
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal heard that Maxine Madderson had acted on behalf of both a 78-year-old vendor and her 34-year-old boyfriend, who was purchasing the property. It was sold almost 10 years ago for £70,000, having been sold in 2006 for £238,500.
Madderson, who had founded Hertfordshire firm Maddersons Solicitors, admitted acting where there was a conflict or significant risk of a conflict by representing both vendor and purchaser in the sale. She also admitted failing to take adequate steps to ensure either client received independent advice.
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By Jemma Slingo2021-04-09T11:43:00+01:00
A management accountant who stole £400,000 from City firm Clyde & Co over the course of six years has been banned from working in the legal profession.
Victoria Lucy Brown was convicted of fraud by false representation at Guildford Crown Court in 2019, after dishonestly misappropriating around £400,000 from the office account of Clyde & Co while employed by the firm.
According to a Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal judgment, Brown worked as an assistant management accountant at Clyde & Co and arranged UK payments for overseas operations. After concerns arose in 2018, a forensic investigation identified 134 suspect payments made by Brown totalling just under £400,000 from the office account between 2011 and September 2017.