A slippery solicitor struck off for misconduct was
A slippery solicitor struck off for misconduct was branded ‘a disgrace’ to his profession by a disciplinary tribunal today (TUES).
Safarez Alam Awan, 41, spent seven months ignoring requests to show his firm’s books to investigating accountants from the Law Society, a conduct hearing in London was told.
He also refused to honour a psychiatrist’s bill for work undertaken for a client – only paying up when bailiffs were sent to his offices to enforce a county court judgement, the panel heard.
A respected barrister and also court shorthand writers were left chasing Awan for unpaid bills totalling thousands of pounds.
The solicitor, from Luton, Beds, was not present at the tribunal to hear of his expulsion from the profession for a catalogue of blunders.
Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal Chairman Adrian Gaynor-Smith said: ‘We have decided that Mr Awan is such a disgrace to the profession by his conduct over a long period of time that he will be struck off.
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Jon Goodwin, for the Law Society, told the hearing that Awan ran his own firm Saf Awan Solicitors, from premises in King Street, Luton.
For a period in 1999 he also had offices in Cranbrook Road, Ilford, Essex.
Investigative accountant Adam Thomsett was sent in to examine Awan’s books in February last year.
But he told the hearing: ‘That proved to be impossible.
I found Mr Awan attitude very difficult.
‘He was very obstructive, and on occasions he would put the phone down on me.
‘I tried every attempt possible in order that I could make enquiries as to whther his books were in order or not, and he just did not co-operate.
‘To be frank we just lost patience, and in the the end he just shut his door on us.
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Gary Duffield, a psychiatrist at Chase Farm Hospital, Enfield, was called in to provide a report for a client, Mr P, at Awan’s request in 1997.
But Dr Duffield was forced to go to the county court to seek payment a year later when Awan had not honoured the bill for pnds stlg 792.
Even then it was not until June last year, three years later, that the doctor was finally paid.
Awan also ignored numerous letters from officials trying to sort the matter out.
Dr Duffield told the hearing: ‘He did not respond in any way until bailiffs entered his address.
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Awan also instructed barrister Simon Bull to carry work for a client in October 1994.
The matter was settled before it came to court, but the barrister’s clerk sent a bill of pnds stlg 1,468.
75 for work undertaken.
Despite eleven reminders over a three year period Awan did not pay the bill, said Mr Goodwin.
Barrister Simon Bull told the hearing today: ‘It still remains unpaid.
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Awan also left a bill of pnds stlg 1,275 for court transcripts unpaid for two and a half years, it is claimed.
The lawyer requested the order in March 1997 from a firm of shorthand writers, Beverly Nunnery and Co, based in Chancery Lane, central London.
Awan sent letters giving a undertaking the bill would be honoured.
A supervision committee were forced to make an order obliging him to pay the money within 14 days in April 1998.
But Awan stalled, claiming he was waiting for funds from the Legal Aid board, and did not honour the bill until October 1999.
Awan was today found guilty of failing or delaying compliance with a professional undertaking and payment of fees, and failing or delaying in relation to a decision of the compliance and supervision committee.
It was also ruled that he failed or delayed in paying experts fees, complying with a county court judgement, replying to Law Society letters, and paying counsels fees.
He further failed to reply to letters, supply practice books of account, or produce accountants reports, it was decided.
Awan, of (2) Gilder Close, Luton, will have to pay costs to be assessed.
ends
