Defending Solicitors – The Solicitors Guide To SRA Investigations And The SDT.
Jon’s book Defending Solicitors is available now via Amazon, get your copy here>>
The letter from the SRA has arrived. What you do next matters.
A regulatory investigation can put your career, reputation, and health under immense pressure. The first response, the records you preserve, and the advice you seek can shape everything that follows.
In Defending Solicitors, Jonathan Goodwin explains how cases against solicitors are built, how they can be answered, and what to do at each stage. Drawing on more than 1,500 regulatory and disciplinary cases, including twenty years prosecuting for the SRA and its predecessors, he offers a rare view from both sides of the process.
“As the former Vice President of the SDT I’ve seen many defence advocates. Jon Goodwin is by far and away the best there is.” Former Vice President of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal
This book is a practical guide and route map for solicitors who may one day face a SRA investigation. Often unknowing that one is coming their way but also guidance on when to self-report. It should be the book which every solicitor has in their bedside drawer, whether they are trainees, compliance officers, or experienced practice owners. When the letter from the SRA arrives, this is the book you will want to have with you.
The book covers:
- The first 48 hours after a letter from the SRA
- Production notices, self-reporting, and investigation delays
- Allegations of dishonesty, lack of integrity, and Accounts Rules breaches
- Firm interventions, SRA sanctions, and agreed outcomes
- Hearings, evidence, costs, and sanctions at the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal
- Appeals, supervision failures, compliance officers, and the effect of an investigation on your health
Each chapter ends with three things to do now, turning a complex process into practical next steps. Written for solicitors facing an investigation, as well as the compliance officers, supervisors, and trainees drawn into one, this is a guide to making careful decisions when the stakes are high.
If a letter is on your desk, read this before you reply. If not, read it before one comes.
About The Author
Jonathan Goodwin is a Solicitor Advocate who has acted in more than 1,500 regulatory and disciplinary cases since 1996. After twenty years prosecuting for the SRA and its predecessors, he now acts only in defence, representing solicitors and other regulated professionals nationally.