Regulator bars solicitor from external legal work and reserved legal activities
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has granted solicitor Andrew King permission to work in a restricted in-house legal role, subject to a series of stringent conditions limiting the scope of his activities. The decision, published on 21 May 2026, allows Mr King to work exclusively for TonghoUK Limited and 941 Medinvest Holdings UK Limited as an in-house solicitor. However, the SRA has imposed extensive controls over the nature of his work and the legal services he can provide.
According to the regulator, Mr King’s approval is strictly limited to employment with the two named entities and applies only to the role described in correspondence submitted to the SRA earlier this year. Under the conditions, Mr King may act only as the sole in-house solicitor on an internal and non-client-facing basis. He is prohibited from providing legal advice or assistance to any external clients, suppliers, customers, third parties or affiliated organisations.
The SRA further restricted his work to internal legal research, high-level legal analysis, and the preparation of briefing notes for company directors. He must not independently implement or authorise legal decisions and cannot act as the organisation’s legal decision-maker.
The conditions also prohibit Mr King from undertaking any reserved legal activities. He is barred from drafting, reviewing or negotiating contracts for external use, conducting litigation, handling disputes, or communicating externally on legal matters.
In addition, the regulator stated that Mr King must not operate independently as the organisation’s legal function. Should any issue arise involving regulated legal activity or legal proceedings, the companies must instruct an appropriately authorised external legal provider, with Mr King’s involvement limited solely to background research.
The SRA also directed that all instructions to Mr King must come exclusively from company directors, and that any proposed variation to his duties or supervision arrangements must receive prior approval from the regulator before implementation.
The approval will automatically lapse if Mr King leaves either organisation, and any future return to the same role would require a fresh SRA application. The SRA said the conditions were necessary in the public interest and proportionate under the SRA Authorisation of Individuals Regulations and the regulatory objectives contained within the Legal Services Act 2007.