Overview
- The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal removed Natasha Janet Dionne Fairs from the roll and ordered her to pay £5,200 in costs.
- An internal review by supervising partner Richard Geraghty, prompted by two colleagues' concerns in May 2023, found systematic over-recording over several years.
- Recorded extremes included 20 hours 24 minutes on 28 April 2020, 22.9 hours on a day in April 2022, and 18.1 hours on 14 April 2023 against a 6.3-hour daily expectation.
- Excess time was logged on files where additional hours would be written off, such as fixed-fee matters or cases with bills already agreed.
- Fairs accepted responsibility and offered personal and workload pressures in mitigation, which regulators did not accept as excusing the misconduct.