A senior solicitor has been struck off after dishonesty findings over a jointly owned property sale
A solicitor has been struck off the Roll following findings of dishonesty by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal after a contested hearing held in December 2025.
The proceedings were brought by the Solicitors Regulation Authority against Paul Lloyd Jones, a former director and senior equity partner at Insight Law LLP and Insight Legal Services Limited.
The Tribunal found that between February 2017 and January 2018, Mr Jones acted without authority in relation to the sale of a jointly owned property in Cardiff. The property was held as beneficial joint tenants with Geraint Jones. Despite this, Mr Jones instructed his firm to act in the sale, asserting authority he did not possess.
The Tribunal concluded that Mr Jones knowingly provided instructions without consent and later directed that the full net sale proceeds be paid into his own bank account. Geraint Jones did not receive his share of the proceeds, and the Tribunal found that Mr Jones failed to account to him.
In addition, the Tribunal determined that on the day the sale completed, Mr Jones sent a misleading text message to his co-owner, stating that he hoped the property would be sold soon. At that time, the sale had already completed and funds had been received. The Tribunal found the message was deliberately crafted to conceal the true position.
Mr Jones denied the allegations, maintaining that he believed he had authority to act and that any breaches were inadvertent. These explanations were rejected. The Tribunal described his evidence as inconsistent and implausible, finding that he had engaged in a prolonged deception and later sought to shift blame to others.
Applying the legal test for dishonesty, the Tribunal concluded that Mr Jones knew he lacked authority and deliberately misled his co-owner. It found that his conduct was dishonest by the standards of ordinary decent people and that it breached Principles 2 and 6 of the SRA Principles 2011, relating to integrity and public trust.
The Tribunal determined that the seriousness of the misconduct, including repeated dishonesty over an extended period, left no appropriate sanction other than strike-off. It found no exceptional circumstances that would justify a lesser penalty.
Mr Jones was ordered to be struck off the Roll of Solicitors and to pay costs of £25,000. The full order was dated 14 January 2026.