Paul Saffron, a former insolvency partner at the Westminster-based firm, was struck off following a hearing in front of a Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal last week (8 May).
Saffron stole from clients over a three year period between 2003 and 2006 – reportedly spending the money in strip clubs – before leaving the firm in October 2006.
As previously reported by Legal Week, the firm launched a suit against him that year alleging that he transferred funds from a client account containing Solicitors Indemnity Fund (SIF) money into his personal accounts.
He was jailed in 2007 after admitting the theft in criminal proceedings. The lawsuit filed by Radcliffes was settled earlier this year.
Radcliffes’ managing partner, Roland Gillott commented: “We have seen the reports of the Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal hearing relating to Paul Saffron. We were not involved in those proceedings.
“When, during a routine accounting exercise, we discovered that certain monies that may be owing to former clients of the firm had gone missing, immediate steps were taken to inform the appropriate authorities, namely the Law Society and the Metropolitan Police. Also, our client account was immediately reimbursed.”
