Solicitor Anbananden Sooben suspended in 2024 after SRA probe found reckless supervision
A solicitor has been suspended after the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) found he acted recklessly and failed to properly supervise a branch office where serious professional and accounting irregularities occurred.
The Tribunal ruled that Anbananden Sooben, manager, compliance officer for legal practice (COLP), and compliance officer for finance and administration (COFA) of his firm, breached the Solicitors Accounts Rules 2019, the SRA Principles 2019, and the Code of Conduct for Solicitors 2019.
According to the SDT’s findings, Sooben had managed the firm since its inception in September 2019 at its original Hounslow office. In July 2023, the firm absorbed another practice, L&L Law, following the death of its sole principal. That practice became the Colliers Wood branch of the firm.
The Tribunal heard that client care letters identified Mr Lingajothy, based at the Colliers Wood branch, as a caseworker and Sooben as the firm’s principal. However, it later emerged that all firm payments, including staff salaries, were made through an account belonging to a limited liability company of which Mr Lingajothy was the sole director and shareholder.
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Evidence presented showed that Mr Lingajothy had received client fees directly and deposited them into his company account, of which he was the only signatory. These transactions took place without Sooben’s knowledge or consent.
The Tribunal also noted that the situation came to public attention after undercover reporters, posing as economic migrants, approached the Colliers Wood branch in July 2023. They alleged that Mr Lingajothy encouraged them to falsify details in order to obtain asylum in the United Kingdom. Following the publication of the report on 11 July 2023, Sooben dismissed Lingajothy.
The SRA notified the firm of its intention to conduct a forensic investigation on 27 July 2023, which began the next day. After reviewing the firm’s records, the regulator intervened into the practice in February 2024 and referred Sooben to the Tribunal in July 2024.
In response to the allegations, Sooben denied any dishonesty. He said he had not misled the firm’s insurer when submitting a cover letter for insurance renewal and had not concealed the fact that he was under SRA investigation. He explained that he had amended an attendance note by hand and created an invoice in the mistaken belief he was required to update the firm’s records before the next audit.
He further denied any failure to supervise, claiming he visited the Colliers Wood branch three times a week and employed a “hands-off” management approach.
After reviewing the evidence, the Tribunal found on the balance of probabilities that Sooben failed to disclose to the insurer that he was under investigation by the SRA, and that this omission amounted to providing misleading information. However, it found no evidence of dishonesty.
The Tribunal accepted that Sooben’s alteration of documents was not intended to deceive clients and that his explanations were credible in that respect. Nevertheless, it held that he breached the Solicitors Accounts Rules and failed to exercise adequate supervision over staff at the Colliers Wood branch.
It concluded that Sooben’s failure amounted to recklessness, a serious professional failing. The Tribunal determined that suspension was the appropriate sanction, reflecting both the seriousness of the breaches and the absence of deliberate dishonesty.
The SRA said the decision was necessary to maintain public confidence in the profession and to uphold proper standards of conduct and accountability.
The period of suspension was imposed for a fixed duration, with the exact term to be recorded in the Tribunal’s final order.