Tom
Clarke
Employee
834234
Decision - Employee-related decision
Outcome: Control of non-qualified staff (Section 43 / Section 99 order)
Outcome date: 2 March 2022
Published date: 5 April 2022
Firm details
Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome
Name: Bond Joseph
Address(es): 65 Burgate, Canterbury, CT1 2HJ
Firm ID: 261587
Outcome details
This outcome was reached by SRA decision.
Decision details
IN THE MATTER OF: Tom Clarke of Whitstable, Kent
A person who is or was involved in a legal practice but is not a solicitor
THE FACTS
Mr Clarke was formerly employed by Bond Joseph whose offices are at 65 Burgate, Canterbury, CT1 2HJ. It was found that:
- On 20 July 2018 and 31 July 2019, Mr Clarke accepted cash payments from a client and did not pay them into the firm’s client account.
- On 12 March 2021, Mr Clarke told the SRA that he had not received the cash payment on 20 July 2018.
Mr Clarke’s conduct was found to be dishonest.
FINDING
Mr Clarke, who is not a solicitor, was involved in a legal practice and has occasioned or been a party to an act or default which involved such conduct on his part that it is undesirable for him to be involved in a legal practice in any of the ways described in the order below.
ORDER
To make an order pursuant to section 43 that with effect from the date of the letter or email notifying Mr Clarke of this decision:
- no solicitor shall employ or remunerate him in connection with his/her practice as a solicitor;
- no employee of a solicitor shall employ or remunerate him in connection with the solicitor's practice;
- no recognised body shall employ or remunerate him;
- no manager or employee of a recognised body shall employ or remunerate him in connection with the business of that body;
- no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit him to be a manager of the body; and
- no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit him to have an interest in the body
except in accordance with the SRA’s prior written permission.