Alerts
Warning: Website for LawBridge Associates misusing employee profiles of Mayer Brown International LLP
21 November 2024
A website at 'www.lawbridge-associates.com/lawyers' is operating and misusing the profile pictures of 14 lawyers employed at Mayer Brown International LLP.
What is the scam?
The SRA has been informed that the website for 'LawBridge Associates' is operating misusing the profile pictures of 14 lawyers employed at a genuine firm of solicitors (see below).
The website provides an email address of 'info@lawbridge-associates.com' and a telephone number of '+44-129-625-50-71'.
The website also provides several other email addresses misusing the genuine lawyer's names (see below) using the domain '@lawbridge-associates.com'.
The SRA understands that members of the public were contacted by 'LawBridge Associates' claiming to be responsible for liquidating the assets of a fraudulent trading company called 'GLOBAL-ICM'.
'LawBridge Associates' provided an 'escrow agreement' and informed the recipient that for a fee, the original investment assets would be recovered.
The SRA has seen a supposed letter purporting to be from the genuine lawyer (see below) claiming to be a 'Investigation Officer' at 'LawBridge Associates'. This letter provides two further telephone numbers of '+1 579 984 5492' and '+44 203 75 83257'.
The SRA has been informed that the first contact with the recipient was a telephone call and that the caller knew that of the recipient prior history with the 'Global ICM' fraud.
Any business or transaction through the website 'www.lawbridge-associates.com/lawyers' or any of the contact details above are 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 Mayer Brown International LLP. The head office is based at 201 Bishopsgate London EC2M 3AF. The telephone contact number is 0203 130 8906 the website is at www.mayerbrown.com. The email domain is @mayerbrown.com.
The names of the 14 lawyers whose identity is being misused are:
- Ali Auda
- Fadela Kailech
- Kirsten Schurmann
- Duc Hieu Le
- Ivan Baraneko
- Maxine Billaut
- Eliza Collopy
- Konstantin von Werder
- Marius Hofler
- Javier Saladich
- Nicolas Danan
- Lisa Dubot
- Johannes Schahn
- Daniel B. Blackburn
All of the above are all lawyers at Mayer Brown International LLP, based in Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Paris and Charlotte (USA) offices.
Mayer Brown International LLP and all their above lawyers have confirmed they have no connection to 'LawBridge Associates' or the website at 'www.lawbridge-associates.com/lawyers'.
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.