Tribunal finds multiple breaches, including dishonesty, false documents and client harm
A solicitor has been struck off the roll after a disciplinary tribunal found extensive misconduct spanning several years, including dishonesty, misleading clients, and falsifying documents.
The case was brought by the Solicitors Regulation Authority against Darren Hanison, former sole principal of Fortitude Law. The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal heard the matter on 24 February 2026 and delivered its decision after reviewing documentary evidence and submissions.
Mr. Hanison did not attend the hearing and was not represented. He had made admissions to a number of allegations prior to the hearing and confirmed that he accepted strike-off as the appropriate outcome.
The tribunal considered 17 allegations relating to Mr. Hanison’s conduct between 2015 and 2023. These included failures to act on client instructions, misleading clients about settlement figures, and mishandling financial matters. In several instances, he conducted settlement negotiations without proper authority and failed to provide clients with sufficient information to make informed decisions.
The tribunal also found that Mr. Hanison made misleading representations to other solicitors and third parties. These included inaccurate statements about costs and instructions, as well as misleading communications regarding legal fees.
In relation to insurance arrangements, the tribunal determined that Mr. Hanison failed to ensure valid after-the-event (ATE) insurance was in place for certain clients. It also found that he provided inaccurate assurances about cost protection and, in some cases, created or relied on false insurance documents that gave the impression that cover existed when it did not.
Further findings included the submission of misleading information in a professional indemnity insurance proposal and the filing of a falsified expert report in court proceedings. The tribunal concluded that these actions misled both regulators and the court.
The case also involved breaches of the SRA Accounts Rules. Investigators identified failures to maintain proper accounting records and an unexplained cash surplus in the firm’s client account. The tribunal found that Mr Hanison had not fulfilled his responsibilities as Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration.
In assessing the misconduct, the tribunal described the behaviour as deliberate, repeated, and occurring over an extended period. It concluded that Mr. Hanison had taken advantage of the trust placed in him and that his actions caused harm to clients and others.
Mr. Hanison admitted that his conduct undermined trust in the profession and accepted responsibility for the breaches. He did not argue that exceptional circumstances applied.
The tribunal determined that the misconduct was of the highest level of seriousness. It concluded that no lesser sanction would be appropriate and ordered that Mr. Hanison be struck off the roll of solicitors. He was also ordered to pay costs of £114,820.64.