A former employee at a motoring law practice has been
disqualified from holding certain roles in firms regulated by the Solicitors
Regulation Authority.
Nathan Blake, formerly with Devon-based Patterson Law
Limited, drafted an adjournment request which he backdated before forwarding to
the instructed barrister. Following a review of Blake’s caseload, the firm
found three other documents 'that caused concern'. All had been backdated.
The documents included representations drafted and
sent to police and a single justice procedure notice which was still in time
‘so there is no obvious reason for the backdating.’ The SRA said Blake had no
recollection of the single justice procedure notice.
In an agreed outcome, the regulator said Blake
breached the code of conduct. Blake was disqualified from acting as head of
legal practice or head of finance and administration of any licensed body or
being a manager or employed by any licensed body.
The SRA said: ‘It is undesirable for Mr. Blake to
engage in the activities listed.’
It added: ‘In the matter of Client A, Mr. Blake
forwarded a backdated application to present to the Court. His conduct was
dishonest and lacking integrity because at the time of drafting the application
he knew it had not previously been submitted and that the application did not
accurately reflect the position of his client’s matter.
‘In the three further matters Mr. Blake has shown a
propensity to mislead clients and others. He has been unable to explain why
documents found to have been created on the firm’s computer system have been
labelled with an earlier date. His conduct was dishonest and lacking
integrity.’
Blake, who fully admitted the misconduct to the SRA
and cooperated with its investigation, ‘admitted he panicked and that there is
no excuse.’
The SRA said Blake received no financial benefit from
his misconduct. Blake agreed to pay the £300 costs of the SRA investigation.
Source: https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/sra-disqualifies-employee-who-backdated-documents/5119259.article
