Dorota Newman
Non-lawyer manager
828033

Decision - Employee-related decision

Outcome: Control of non-qualified staff (Section 43 / Section 99 order)

Outcome date: 20 February 2025

Published date: 28 February 2025

Firm details

Firm or organisation at date of publication and at time of matters giving rise to outcome

Name: Jarmans Solicitors (JS) Limited

Address(es): 13 Conqueror Court, Vellum Drive, Sittingbourne ME10 5BH

Firm ID: 801768

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Decision details

IN THE MATTER OF:

Dorota Newman who is not a solicitor, was owner and manager at Jarmans Solicitors whose head office was at 13 Conqueror Court, Vellum Drive, Sittingbourne, ME10 5BH.

Reasons/basis

THE FACTS

Ms Newman was the owner and manager of the firm, which was a licensed body. The SRA decided to intervene into the firm on 15 March 2024. The intervention was on the grounds that there was reason to suspect dishonesty on the part of Ms Newman as a manager of the firm in connection with the firm's business and the firm, and its manager Ms Newman, had not complied with the terms of its licence.

FINDING

Allegation 1

Ms Newman authorised eighteen improper transfers from client to office account causing a shortage of £3,693.85. In doing so, Ms Newman breached paragraph 5.2 of the SRA Code of Conduct for Firms (2019), Rules 4.3 and 5.1 of the SRA Accounts Rules (2019) and Principles 2, 4 and 5 of the SRA Principles (2019).

Allegation 2

Ms Newman failed to ensure the firms books of account were maintained in compliance with the SRA Accounts Rules. In doing so, Ms Newman breached paragraph 5.2 of the SRA Code of Conduct for Firms (2019), Rules 8.1 and 8.3 of the SRA Accounts Rules (2019) and Principles 2 and 5 of the SRA Principles (2019).

ORDER

Ms Newman's conduct breached relevant duties that applied to her as owner and manager of the firm, namely, the SRA Code of Conduct for Firms (2019), the SRA Accounts Rules (2019) and SRA Principles (2019).

It was found that it would be undesirable for Ms Newman to act as a Head of Legal Practice, Head of Finance and Administration, a manager or an employee of a body licensed in accordance with section 99 of the Legal Services Act 2007.

Ms Newman was disqualified from holding any of these roles. She was also directed to pay costs of £1,350.