Alvin Gilbert Just struck off after dishonesty, hidden accounts and client money scandal

Alvin Just struck off after tribunal finds dishonesty, misuse of funds and breach of undertakings

Alvin Gilbert Just has been struck off the roll of solicitors after the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) found he acted dishonestly, concealed crucial financial information, and mishandled client money.

The ruling comes after a lengthy hearing into his conduct at Just & Brown Solicitors, where he was a partner. The tribunal determined that his actions, which included misleading investigators and failing to account for estate funds, fatally undermined the trust expected of members of the legal profession.

The case centred on the proceeds from the 2014 sale of Property B, handled as part of an estate administration. Mr Just failed to ensure that the money was placed into a regulated client account and did not provide proper accounting to Client A, the personal representative of the deceased’s estate. Although the tribunal did not uphold the allegation that he misappropriated the full proceeds, it found that his failures placed client funds at risk and breached multiple regulatory principles.

The panel also examined Account F, a bank account in the name of “Just & Brown Solicitors Limited”. Despite being its sole signatory, Mr Just denied to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) that the account was his. Investigators later confirmed the account had been used both for personal and client-related transactions. The tribunal concluded that his denials amounted to deliberate dishonesty, designed to obstruct the investigation and conceal the handling of client money outside the rules.

Further misconduct was uncovered in his failure to honour professional undertakings. In one case, he breached a promise given to BGR Bloomer Solicitors over a lien for costs. In another, he failed to discharge a mortgage on Property C within a reasonable time after providing a formal undertaking. Both breaches, the tribunal ruled, showed a disregard for his obligations as a solicitor.

The SDT also considered a series of emails sent by Mr Just to opposing counsel and another party in a probate dispute. The messages, while not found to be threatening, were described as inappropriate and unprofessional, further undermining his position.

Throughout the proceedings, Mr Just advanced a series of arguments, claiming that his role as a “Cestui Que Vie Trustee” placed his activities beyond the reach of the SRA. He alleged double jeopardy, delay, breaches of his human rights, and bias within the regulatory process. The tribunal dismissed all of these claims, ruling that client money handled in legal practice remains subject to the Solicitors Accounts Rules and that his submissions were without foundation.

“The only appropriate and proportionate sanction given the seriousness of Mr Just’s conduct is to strike him off the roll,” the panel stated in its decision. It held that his dishonesty and failure to cooperate with regulators struck at the heart of the profession’s integrity and required permanent removal to protect the public.

Attention also turned to his former partner, Devon Anthony Brown, who served as the firm’s Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration between 2013 and 2017. The tribunal found that he failed to carry out his regulatory duties, exposing client assets to risk, although it did not find his conduct dishonest. He was fined £2,000.

Just & Brown Solicitors, which began trading in 2012, was closed following intervention by the SRA in 2017. Mr Just’s practising certificate was suspended the same year and has not been renewed. He was later declared bankrupt in 2018.

By striking off Mr Just and penalising Mr Brown, the SDT said it was acting to safeguard the public and reinforce confidence in the profession’s regulatory standards.