Clive Matthew
Austin
Solicitor
032268
Decision - Control of practice
Outcome: Condition
Outcome date: 3 May 2024
Published date: 4 July 2024
Firm details
Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome
Name: Giles Wilson LLP
Address(es): 1711 London Road, Leigh-On-Sea, SS9 2SW
Firm ID: 598121
Outcome details
This outcome was reached by SRA decision.
Decision details
Mr Clive Matthew Austin's practising certificate for 2023/2024 is subject to the following conditions:
- Mr Austin is not a manager or owner of an authorised body.
- Mr Austin may not act as a compliance officer for legal practice (COLP) or compliance officer for finance and administration (COFA) for any authorised body.
- Mr Austin may not practise on his own account under regulation 10.2(a) or (b) of the SRA Authorisation of Individuals Regulations.
- Mr Austin does not hold or receive client money, or act as a signatory to any client or office account or have the power to authorise transfers from any client or office account.
In these conditions the terms are as defined in the SRA Glossary.
Reasons/basis
The above conditions are necessary in the public interest. They are reasonable and proportionate having regard to the purposes set out in regulation 7 of the SRA Authorisation of Individuals Regulations, and the regulatory objectives and principles governing regulatory activities as contained in section 28 of the Legal Services Act 2007.
Decision - Control of practice
Outcome: Condition
Outcome date: 4 April 2023
Published date: 30 May 2023
Firm details
Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome
Name: Giles Wilson LLP
Address(es): 1711 London Road, Leigh-On-Sea, SS9 2SW
Firm ID: 598121
Outcome details
This outcome was reached by SRA decision.
Decision details
Mr Austin’s practising certificate for 2022/2023 is subject to the following conditions:
- He is not a manager or owner of an authorised body.
- He may not act as a compliance officer for legal practice (COLP) or compliance officer for finance and administration (COFA) for any authorised body.
- He may not practise on his own account under regulation 10.2(a) or (b) of the SRA Authorisation of Individuals Regulations.
- He does not hold or receive client money, or act as a signatory to any client or office account or have the power to authorise transfers from any client or office account.
In these conditions the terms are as defined in the SRA Glossary.
Reasons/basis
The above conditions are necessary in the public interest. They are reasonable and proportionate having regard to the purposes set out in regulation 7 of the SRA Authorisation of Individuals Regulations, and the regulatory objectives and principles governing regulatory activities as contained in section 28 of the Legal Services Act 2007.
Decision - Prosecution
Outcome: Referral to Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal
Outcome date: 6 November 2020
Published date: 12 August 2021
Firm details
Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome
Name: Giles Wilson LLP & Mullis & Peake LLP
Address(es): 1711 London Road, Leigh-On-Sea, Essex SS9 2SW & 8-10 Eastern Road, Romford, Essex RM1 3PJ
Firm ID: 598121 & 508159
Outcome details
This outcome was reached by SRA decision.
Reasons/basis
Outcome of SDT Hearing
This notification relates to a Decision to prosecute before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. This is an independent Tribunal which reaches its own decision after considering all the evidence, including any evidence put forward by the Respondent. The Tribunal had certified that there was a case to answer.
The matter was heard on 21 – 22 September 2021.
Mr. Austin was suspended from practice for a period of 9 months to commence 22 September 2021.
Upon the expiry of the fixed term of suspension, be subject to the conditions indefinitely imposed by the Tribunal as follows:
Mr Austin may not:
- Practise as a sole practitioner or sole manager or sole owner of an authorised or recognised body; or as a freelance solicitor; or as a solicitor in an unregulated organisation;
- Be a partner or member of a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP), Legal Disciplinary Practice (LDP) or Alternative Business Structure (ABS) or other authorised or recognised body;
- Be a Head of Legal Practice/Compliance Officer for Legal Practice or a Head of Finance and Administration/Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration
- Hold client money;
- Be a signatory on any client account;
There be liberty to either party to apply to the Tribunal to vary the conditions set out above
The SDT judgment will be available at www.solicitorstribunal.org.uk.