Former Axiom Ince lawyer rebuked after failing to take client instructions

Parveen Sidhu, formerly of Axiom Ince, was ‘rebuked’ by the legal regulator after she failed to take her clients’ instructions when completing a property deal.

Sidhu, who is now a solicitor at Taylor Rose’s Ealing office, was investigated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

When she was working at the now-collapsed Axiom Ince’s conveyancing department, she was instructed in May 2021 to sell two properties.

One of the properties was owned jointly by a mother and daughter, and one was owned by the daughter and her husband. The lawyer was also instructed to purchase a property using the funds from both sales.

Sidhu advised the clients that a declaration of trust would need to be prepared, advising that it would need to be in place on completion of the sale.

The lawyer was asked to complete the purchase before stamp duty rates increased on 30 June 2021.

Despite that, on 29 June 2021, she completed the sales and purchase without the declaration being executed. She did not take her client’s instructions on completing the purchase without the declaration. This meant the mother’s contribution was not protected.

The client made a complaint to the firm and the regulator.

She admitted to failing to take her clients’ instructions on completing the purchase without the declaration, which she is in breach of the SRA Code of Conduct. She also admitted to failing to act in the best interests of the client.

She was handed a written rebuke and ordered to pay the costs of the investigation of £300.

Axion Ince went into administration last year which sent shock waves throughout the legal sector. Last November, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) confirmed it was investigating the firm over allegations of fraud. The anti-fraud agency also arrested seven individuals and carried out multiple raids.