A solicitor has been struck off after admitting dishonesty over qualifications and work history
A solicitor has been struck off the roll after the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal concluded that he repeatedly acted dishonestly by submitting false and misleading information about his education and experience to prospective employers.
The decision concerns Vishal Patel, who was admitted as a solicitor in September 2020 and was previously employed as an in-house legal counsel at Aviva Insurance. The tribunal approved an agreed outcome following proceedings brought by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, with the matter determined on the papers at a hearing on 20 November 2025. The final order was dated 5 December 2025.
The tribunal found that between August 2022 and March 2023, Mr Patel engaged in multiple acts of dishonesty in connection with applications for roles in private practice. He admitted submitting curriculum vitae documents that contained false or misleading information regarding his academic qualifications, institutions attended, and work experience.
In August 2022, Mr Patel provided a CV to a recruitment agency, knowing it would be forwarded to Squire Patton Boggs (UK) LLP. The CV overstated his academic achievements and misrepresented the universities he attended. Further discrepancies came to light during pre-employment screening and a subsequent meeting with the firm’s head of human resources, during which Mr Patel supplied a different CV that also contained inaccuracies.
The tribunal also found that in February 2023, after the SRA began investigating his conduct, Mr Patel provided Aviva Investors with further CV material and a summary of discrepancies that themselves contained false or misleading information. In March 2023, he additionally made a verbal statement to his employer claiming that two Leicester schools had merged, an explanation the tribunal found to be untrue and misleading.
All allegations were admitted by Mr Patel. The tribunal accepted that the misconduct involved dishonesty and a lack of integrity, breaching Principles 2, 4, and 5 of the SRA Principles 2019 and paragraph 1.4 of the Code of Conduct for Solicitors.
In assessing the sanction, the tribunal said the misconduct was deliberate, repeated, and motivated by a desire to secure employment. It noted that Mr Patel was aware of his regulatory obligations and had direct control over his actions. The tribunal concluded that the conduct was of the utmost seriousness and undermined public trust in the profession.
While mitigation was acknowledged, including Mr Patel’s admissions and cooperation with the regulator, the tribunal found there were no exceptional circumstances capable of justifying a lesser sanction. It ruled that striking off was the only proportionate outcome to protect the public and maintain confidence in the legal profession.
Mr Patel was ordered to be struck off the roll of solicitors and to pay the agreed costs of £5,313.