Solicitor Meredith Sykes of Scotland; ethical goblin

The Law Society presented Meredith Graham Sykes with a law license in 1986 after he graduated from the University of Edinburgh School of Law.

The Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal found Meredith guilty of the following misconduct.

• Engaged in unconscionable delay in recording deeds
• Failed to keep the books of his practice up to date
• Failed to designate checks
• Paid fees to himself before fee notes were recorded
• Failed to carry out monthly reconciliation of his firm’s clients account
• Charged excessive fees or fees for work which had not been carried out
• Failed to comply with the Money Laundering Regulations 1993
• Failed to carry out quarterly reconciliations of invested funds
• Failed to invest clients’ funds as required
• Failed to issue conflict letters
• Knowingly acted in a situation in which there was a conflict of interest between him and his client where he had a personal financial interest in the subject matter of the advice given
• Attempted to obtain payment from the Scottish Legal Aid Board by misrepresentation

As a direct consequence of his misconduct, the enablers for Solicitor Misfits sitting on the Discipline Tribunal punished Meredith by gifting him with a complimentary censure.

As we speak (ca. June 2018), Meredith practices at 235 Hamilton Road Halfway in Cambuslang, Scotland.