Mary Carmel
Guerin-Warrick
Non-lawyer manager
688059
Decision - Fined
Outcome: Fine
Outcome date: 8 March 2022
Published date: 14 April 2022
Firm details
Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome
Name: LA Law Limited
Address(es): Formerly of 8th Floor Telecom House, 125-135 Preston Road, Brighton East Sussex BN1 6AF.
Firm ID: 596802
Outcome details
This outcome was reached by SRA decision.
Decision details
Decision by an Adjudicator. Reviewed by Adjudication Panel and dismissed.
Financial penalty - £13,500
Costs - £1,875
Disqualified under S.99.
Reasons/basis
Mary Carmel Guerin-Warrick, who is not a solicitor, was employed by LA Law Limited whose head office was at 8th Floor Telecom House, 125-135 Preston Road, Brighton, BN1 6AF between 29 July 2013 and 10 August 2017. The firm closed on 20 December 2017.
It was found that:
- LA Law Limited, of which Ms Guerin-Warrick was the head of finance and administration (HOFA), received money for the purpose of discharging professional disbursements and failed to either pay those disbursements to the appropriate recipients and/or transfer the money from the office account to the client account. By doing so, Ms Guerin-Warrick:
- breached Principles 6, 7, 8 and 10 of the SRA Principles 2011 and
- breached rules 1.2, 14.1, 17(1)(b)(ii) and 17(1)(c) of the SRA Accounts Rules 2011.
- Ms Guerin-Warrick failed adequately to carry out her role as a HOFA and in doing so breached Section 92 of the Legal Services Act 2007.
- Ms Guerin-Warrick was made subject to a disqualification order under section 99 of the Legal Services Act 2007. This order prevents her from holding any of the following roles in a licensed body:
- Head of Legal Practice
- Head of Finance and Administration
- A manager
- An employee.
- Ms Guerin-Warrick was directed to pay a financial penalty of £13,500 and costs of £1,875