Disciplinary outcomes

• Principle 3.8: You must ensure that you maintain professional indemnity insurance that complies with the Practising Rules and promptly provide evidence of that insurance cover if requested by a client, CLSB or the Legal Ombudsman.

Allegations into Principle 1 were not proved by the investigation.

The Costs Lawyer provided a written undertaking to the CLSB:

• To comply with Principle 3.8 Code of Conduct by ensuring that he maintains professional indemnity insurance that complies with the Practising Rules and promptly provide evidence of that insurance cover if requested by a client, CLSB or the Legal Ombudsman.
• To keep in place efficient and effective systems in his professional practice to remind him of important renewal dates including, but not limited to, renewal of PII and renewal of my practising certificate.
• To endorse each of his current files to the effect that between 18 May 2025 and 1 December 2025 no work was undertaken upon it.

In addition, the Costs Lawyer received a fixed costs order of £500.

• Principle 1: Act with honesty and integrity and maintain your independence (in relation to integrity only).
• Principle 6: Treat everyone fairly and equitably, and with dignity and respect.

Allegations into Principle 2, Principle 4 and Principle 7 were not proven by the investigation.

The Costs Lawyer provided a written undertaking to the CLSB that:

• He shall at all times act in accordance with the Code of Conduct and particularly not forge the signature of others or take his employer’s intellectual property but act with honesty and integrity at all times.
• He will treat everyone fairly and equitable and with dignity and respect, particularly avoiding language which others may reasonably consider to be racist, homophobic or misogynistic;

1. 1. He will undertake specific unconscious bias training at his own cost within six months of the date of the undertaking, and
   2. He will undertake specific diversity sensitivity training at his own cost within six months of the date of the undertaking, and
   3. He will provide evidence of completion of this training provided by an independent third party training provider within six months of the date of the undertaking to the CLSB.

• He must inform any future employer of this outcome upon taking employment.
• He will pay a financial penalty of £500.

In addition, the Costs Lawyer received a fixed costs order in the sum of £500.

• Principle 1.1: The Costs Lawyer did not act with honesty and integrity.
• Principle 1.3: The Costs Lawyer gave false or misleading information to those with whom he dealt.
• Principle 1.7: The Costs Lawyer acted in a way which was likely to diminish the trust the public places in him or the profession of Costs Lawyers.

The Costs Lawyer provided a written undertaking to the CLSB:

• That he will not at any time use his employer’s email address for his own or other private purposes;
• That he will not at any time store personal or private information on any workspace provided by his employer;
• That he will not engage in online gambling in any form using his employer’s computer or computer system or in his employer’s time;
• That he will at all times comply with Data Protection legislation;
• That in all respects he will uphold the Cost Lawyer’s Code of Conduct.

and received a fixed costs order of £500.

The Costs Lawyer failed to disclose the SRA investigation during the investigation or upon renewal of his practising certificate.

• The investigation proved the allegation that the Costs Lawyer breached Principle 1.7: You must not act in any way which is likely to diminish the trust the public places in you or in the profession of Costs Lawyers, and Principle 3.1: You must at all times act in the best interests of your client.

In relation to the failure to disclose:

• The investigation proved the allegation that the Costs Lawyer beached Principle 5.1a: You must provide accurate and complete documentation and information on an application for a practising certificate and you must promptly notify the CLSB of any subsequent event that impacts on your fitness to be a Costs Lawyer.
• Allegations in relation to Principles 5.2, 1.3 and 1.1 were not proved by the investigation.

In light of the sanction imposed by the SRA in relation to the underlying facts the CLSB decided that it was not appropriate to impose any additional separate sanction.

5.1a       You must provide accurate and complete documentation and information on an application for a practising certificate and you must promptly notify the CLSB of any subsequent event that impacts on your fitness to be a Costs Lawyer.

5.1b       You must respond promptly to any requests from the CLSB with full and accurate information. You must provide the CLSB with access to information and documentation if requested to do so.”

The Costs Lawyer was issued a warning letter that they must at all times comply with the Costs Lawyers Code of Conduct and, in particular, ensure that they provide accurate and complete documentation and information when required by the Costs Lawyers Standards Board, and respond promptly to any requests from the Board.

In addition the Costs Lawyer received a fixed costs order of £500.