Solicitor Simon Heaney of Merseyside, England; ethical ogre

The Law Society presented David Bushell with a law license in 1998.

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal found Simon guilty of the following misconduct.

• Caused or allowed the retention in the firm’s office bank account of client monies, received from the Legal Aid Agency for payment of unpaid disbursements, resulting in a shortage of £39,233.37 (US $47,941.43)
• Failed to remedy on discover the £39,233.37 shortfall on the firm’s client account arising from the breaches of the rules promptly or at all
• Failed to notify the Solicitors Regulation Authority promptly that the firm was in serious financial difficulty from approximately early 2016, thereby breaching principle 7 and failing to achieve outcome 10.3 of the SRA Code of Conduct
• Engaged in serious misconduct
• Misconduct constituted serious lack of integrity

As a direct consequence of his misconduct, the enablers for Solicitor Misfits sitting on the Disciplinary Tribunal punished Simon by gifting him with a complimentary fine of £20,000 (US $24,449.00) and ordered to pay costs of £13,300 (US $16,258.00).

As we speak (ca. May 2020), Simon practices with Brown Turner Ross Limited at 11 St. Georges Place, Lord Street, Southport in Merseyside, England.