SRA warns that a supposed non-disclosure agreement misuses a solicitor’s name and firm identity
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has issued a warning about a document circulating which falsely uses the name of a genuine solicitor and law firm.
The regulator said the document has been sent to a member of the public and purports to be a non-disclosure agreement. It misuses the name of solicitor Callum Hutton and Clarendon Law Solicitors, a trading name of Gladstow Ltd.
According to the SRA, the document claims to originate from an individual called “Elisa Huang” and includes several names and details intended to give the appearance of legitimacy.
The document contains the names Elisa Huang, Jeff F. Ball, and Callum Ellis Hutton. It also includes the address 9 Regent Street, Nottingham N, as well as a firm logo and a seal stating “Clarendon Law Solicitors, City, UK.”
The SRA confirmed that it does not authorise or regulate an individual called Elisa Huang.
The regulator further warned that any business or transaction connected with the document is not undertaken by a firm or individual authorised or regulated by the SRA.
The SRA has confirmed that Gladstow Ltd is a genuine firm of solicitors authorised and regulated by the regulator under SRA ID 666659. The firm operates under the trading name Clarendon Law Solicitors.
The regulator also confirmed that Callum Hutton is a genuine solicitor authorised by the SRA under ID 7052514 and works at Gladstow Ltd.
Mr Hutton has confirmed to the SRA that neither he, Gladstow Ltd, nor Clarendon Law Solicitors have any connection to the document referenced in the alert.
The SRA issued the warning as part of its ongoing alerts regarding situations where the identity of a genuine firm or solicitor is copied or “cloned”.
The regulator advises that where correspondence claims to originate from a solicitor or law firm, recipients should carry out due diligence to confirm that the communication is genuine.
This includes contacting the law firm directly through reliable and established contact details rather than relying on the details contained within the suspicious correspondence.
Members of the public can also check whether a solicitor or firm is authorised by using the SRA’s online register of regulated individuals and organisations.
In some cases, additional checks such as consulting publicly available records, including telephone directories or company registers, may also help verify the authenticity of legal communications.