Solicitor struck off following numerous breaches

Ian James McDougall, who had run his own firm of McDougall & Co, was suspended in June 2015 and was sequestrated in November of that year.

The Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal found him guilty of professional misconduct after, among other things, he effected multiple transfers of funds between clients of his firm without obtaining, or retaining, written authority of the clients whose funds were being transferred; he took for or to account of fees multiple sums held on the firm’s client account without rendering fee notes to the clients from whom the fees were taken; he failed to record or retain sufficient narrative or documentation required to comply with his duty to keep properly written up such accounting records as a necessary to show all of the firm’s dealings with clients’ money and money dealt with by the firm through its clients account.

The SSDT said his conduct was “extremely serious” and that despite the breaches being raised with him after an inspection by the Law Society of Scotland and his assurances he would not repeat them, he continued in his conduct.

As his actions was likely to damage the reputation of the profession, the only disposal was to strike Mr McDougall’s name from the roll.