Alerts

Warning: The website 'The Brief Claims’ is operating misusing the name of Cheshire Estate and Legal Limited (CEL Solicitors)

23 December 2024

The website 'www.thebriefclaims.com’ is operating misusing the name of Cheshire Estate and Legal Limited (CEL Solicitors).

What is the scam?

The SRA has been informed that a website at 'www.thebriefclaims.com' is operating misusing the name of a genuine firm (see below), the profiles and name of its regulated managers and their images.

The website provides an email address of 'complaints@thebrieclaims.com'.

The website also misuses the genuine firm's address, SRA ID number and Company number.

The SRA does not authorise and regulate a firm of solicitors called 'The Brief Claims'.

Any business or transaction through the website at 'www.thebriefclaims.com', email address of 'complaints@thebrieclaims.com' is not undertaken by a firm or individual authorised and regulated by the SRA.

Is there a genuine firm or person?

The SRA authorises and regulates a genuine firm of solicitors called Cheshire Estate & Legal Limited, which trades as CEL Solicitors based at 12th Floor, 20 Chapel Street, Liverpool, L3 9AG. The genuine email domain used by the firm is @celsolicitors.co.uk. The firm's website address is www.celsolicitors.co.uk. The telephone number is 0151 909 8212.

The SRA authorises and regulates a genuine solicitors called Karen Linda Birch, Jessica Artemis Hampson, Paul Bernard Hampson, Christopher James Higginson, Anthony James Hill, and John Paul Lowry who are all Managers of Cheshire Estate & Legal Limited.

Cheshire Estate and Legal Limited has confirmed that they do not have any connection to the website at 'www.thebriefclaims.com'.

What should I do?

When a firm's or individual's identity has been copied exactly (or cloned), due diligence is necessary. If you receive correspondence claiming to be from the above firm(s) or individual(s), or information of a similar nature to that described, you should conduct your own due diligence by checking the authenticity of the correspondence by contacting the law firm directly by reliable and established means. You can contact the SRA to find out if individuals or firms are regulated and authorised by the SRA and verify an individual's or firm's practising details. Other verification methods, such as checking public records (e.g. telephone directories and company records) may be required in other circumstances.