David Ebert LLP slammed with £20k fine over compliance officer absence
David Ebert LLP has been fined £20,723 after the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal found the firm committed a series of regulatory breaches over several years, including operating without key compliance officers.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) accused the firm of failing to meet four separate obligations under its rules, all of which the firm admitted. These included breaches of the Transparency Rules 2018, conditions on its authorisation, and the SRA Authorisation of Firms Rules.
Between 16 September 2022 and 29 January 2023, the firm failed to comply with Rule 1.1 and Rule 2.1 of the Transparency Rules, which require firms to publish clear and accessible information about their services, pricing, and complaints procedures in certain practice areas.
Over the same period, David Ebert LLP also ignored conditions imposed on its authorisation by an SRA adjudicator in August 2022.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe tribunal heard that from 12 July 2022 to 15 December 2023, the firm had no Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP), and from 3 November 2020 until 30 October 2023, it had no Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration (COFA). These roles are crucial for ensuring that firms meet professional obligations, protect client interests, and manage risks effectively.
The panel concluded that by failing to meet these requirements, the firm breached Paragraph 3.4 of the SRA Code of Conduct 2019, Rule 8.1 of the Authorisation of Firms Rules 2019, and Principle 2 of the SRA Principles 2019, which demands that firms uphold public trust in the profession.
In its written judgment, the tribunal emphasised that the Transparency Rules, authorisation conditions, and compliance officer appointments are “crucial to a firm as they demonstrate clearly to the public and potential clients that it has the necessary expertise to handle their cases and the relevant protective measures in place to ensure an efficient and compliant business.”
David Ebert LLP admitted that it had not acted quickly enough to resolve the issues. The panel accepted that the breaches were not deliberate, but rather the result of a “period of transformation” within the firm during which senior staff attention was diverted from core compliance matters.
While the firm took too long to address the problems, the tribunal noted that it expressed regret, did not gain financially or otherwise from the breaches, and caused no harm to clients or the public. The panel also recorded that the firm co-operated fully with the SRA’s investigation, made early admissions, and was open in all dealings with the regulator.
Given these mitigating factors, the tribunal decided that a fine was the proportionate sanction. It ordered the firm to pay £20,723.20, which will be forfeited to His Majesty the King.
The firm was also ordered to pay £10,000 in costs, a sum agreed between the parties and deemed reasonable by the panel.
This ruling underscores the SRA’s expectation that firms meet even the most basic compliance obligations without delay, regardless of internal changes or restructuring. Firms that fail to do so risk significant financial penalties and reputational damage — even in cases where no client has suffered harm.
