Judicial Factor appointed to Glasgow law firm
The Law Society of Scotland has successfully petitioned the Court of Session to appoint a Judicial Factor to Glasgow law firm NEGO8.
The application was made to the court on Wednesday, 29 August 2018, to protect client interests following concerns raised about compliance with the Law Society’s accounts rules.
Morna Grandison, Director of Interventions at the Law Society, has been appointed by the court as interim Judicial Factor for the firm. As an officer of the court, the Judicial Factor acts independently of the Law Society to make arrangements for the continuation of ongoing legal work and ensure that any outstanding business is properly concluded.
NEGO8’s sole director John Mair was suspended from practising as a solicitor on 24 August following a decision by the Law Society’s Client Protection Sub-committee. He is unable to practice until further notice.
Lorna Jack, Chief Executive at the Law Society, said: “We can confirm that Mr Mair has been suspended and is not currently permitted to practise as a Scottish solicitor.
“We take our regulatory responsibilities extremely seriously and are committed to ensuring that members of the public are protected. We have robust consumer protections in place including setting and enforcing high professional standards for solicitors and we carry out regular financial compliance inspections of law firms in Scotland.”
Clients of the firm who have queries can call 0131 476 8195 or email enquiry@judicialfactor.org.uk
The Law Society carries out regular inspections of all solicitor firms in Scotland to ensure that they comply with rules on dealing with clients' money. If an inspector suspects that client money is missing, has been mis-used, or the accounting records are so poor they cannot tell if client money is missing or has been mis-used, the Law Society can request the Court of Session to appoint a Judicial Factor to that firm to protect the public and other solicitors.
The decision to make the appointment is for the Court and means that the Judicial Factor, who is an Officer of the Court and acts independently of the Law Society, takes over the running of the firm on a temporary basis. The solicitor partners at the firm are suspended until further notice.
Client protection
Find out about the consumer protections available to clients, what standards solicitors must meet, and what to do if you feel your solicitor has not met them.
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