SRA imposes Section 43 order after findings over transfers between client and office accounts
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has imposed restrictions on Jeffrey Hazelgrove, a former senior employee at Hunter’s Solicitors LLP, after finding that he acted dishonestly while working at the Buckinghamshire-based law firm.
According to a decision published on 4 June 2026, the regulator issued a Section 43 order against Mr Hazelgrove on 21 May 2026. The order places significant restrictions on his future involvement in legal practice without prior approval from the SRA.
The SRA said Mr Hazelgrove was employed as Head of Finance and Operations at Hunter’s Solicitors LLP and also served as the firm’s Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration (COFA). He worked at the firm from March 2021 until 12 February 2026.
The regulator’s findings relate to a period between May 2025 and February 2026. During that time, Mr Hazelgrove authorised and carried out transfers from the firm’s client account to its office account. The SRA said those transfers were made to ensure the firm’s liabilities could be met and could not be justified in the circumstances.
In its published decision, the SRA concluded that Mr Hazelgrove’s actions were dishonest. The regulator stated that he was involved in a legal practice and had occasioned or been party to conduct that made it undesirable for him to be involved in legal practice without regulatory oversight.
As a result, the SRA imposed an order under Section 43(2) of the Solicitors Act 1974. The order prevents solicitors, recognised bodies and their employees from employing or remunerating Mr Hazelgrove in connection with legal practice unless the SRA gives prior written permission. The restrictions also limit his ability to act as a manager of a recognised body or hold an interest in one without regulatory approval.
Explaining its decision, the regulator said the conduct was serious because it involved dishonesty. The SRA added that such behaviour risks undermining public trust and confidence in the legal profession.
In addition to the Section 43 order, Mr Hazelgrove was directed to pay £600 towards the SRA’s costs.
The decision relates to Mr Hazelgrove in his capacity as a non-solicitor employee involved in legal practice. The SRA’s published findings identify his last known address as being in Buckinghamshire and confirm that the outcome was reached through an SRA regulatory decision.