Solicitor struck off for catalogue of misconduct
A Glasgow solicitor has been struck off the roll by the Scottish Solicitors' Discipline Tribunal for an extended course of professional misconduct including elements of dishonesty.
William Meechan, sole principal of Campbell & Meechan, admitted among other things:
- failing to communicate effectively with his client and to respond to the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission and the Law Society of Scotland;
- failing to provide an explanation as to the source of a purported settlement sum of £25,000;
- failing to issue an invoice prior to taking a fee of £3,750;
- failing to act with trust and personal integrity in connection with the giving of evidence in relation to an affidavit following his giving of misleading information to the court;
- acting for clients in potential conflict of interest situations in the sale and purchase of three properties, which were back-to-back transactions;
- dealing with executry proceeds in such a way as to conceal a client’s financial position when she was in receipt of state benefits;
- drawing down of lender/client funds in the absence of written authorisation;
- failing to maintain proper accounts; and
- failing to render a fee note to an executry prior to taking an interim fee.
The tribunal described Mr Meechan's conduct as "undoubtedly extremely serious" and as involving "significant aggravating factors". It continued over a long period of time, involving a large number of transactions and many different aspects of misconduct. Elements of the misconduct disclosed dishonesty. He had previous findings of unsatisfactory conduct in analogous matters where he had been ordered to retrain and yet he had still become involved in the current matter. He also had a previous finding of professional misconduct. It concluded that he was a danger to the public.
Although the tribunal accepted that Mr Meechan had cooperated with the proceedings and expressed remorse and understood the seriousness of his conduct, it considered that the nature of the conduct significantly called into question his honesty and trustworthiness to the extent that it demonstrated that he was not a fit and proper person to be a solicitor.