Karen
Rieveley
Solicitor
157203
Decision - Sanction
Outcome: Rebuke
Outcome date: 25 February 2025
Published date: 16 April 2025
Firm details
Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome
Name: Hodders Law Ltd
Address(es): 50 Station Road, Harlesden, LONDON, NW10 4UA, England
Firm ID: 554857
Firm or organisation at date of publication
Name: Taylor Rose Limited
Address(es): 69 Carter Lane, London, EC4V 5EQ, England (2)
Firm ID: 623604
Outcome details
This outcome was reached by SRA decision.
Decision details
Rebuke and costs
Reasons/basis
Ms Rieveley is a solicitor, currently working at Taylor Rose TTKW Limited, a regulated body. At the time of the misconduct detailed below, Ms Rieveley was a director at Hodders Law Limited (the firm), a recognised body.
Short summary of decision
We have issued Ms Rieveley with a rebuke for breaches of the SRA Accounts Rules and an order Ms Silva to pay £1,350 in costs.
On 3 August 2023, a forensic investigation officer (FIO) at the SRA produced a forensic investigation report (FIR). The FIR identified that:
- On 23 September 2022, the firm had 408 client ledgers (holding a combined total of £351,141.12) where there had been no transactions on the ledger since 31 December 2019, at the latest.
- As at 23 September 2022, the firm had five client account suspense ledgers holding a total of £578,336.90. This amount had been reduced to £21,115.22 by the date of the FIR.
Facts of the misconduct
It was found that: Ms Rieveley failed to ensure that client money was returned promptly to clients as soon as there was no longer any proper reason to hold those funds.
In doing so, Ms Rieveley breached rule 2.5 of the SRA Accounts Rules 2019. Ms Rieveley failed to ensure that the firm kept and maintained accurate, contemporaneous, and chronological records to record in client ledgers (identified by the client's name and an appropriate description of the matter to which they relate) all receipts and payments which were client money on the client side of the client ledger account.
In doing so, Ms Rieveley breached Rule 8.1(a)(i) of the SRA Accounts Rules 2019.
Decision on sanction
It was decided that a rebuke was an appropriate and proportionate sanction. This was because Ms Rieveley’s conduct was serious by reference to the following factors in the SRA Enforcement Strategy:
- There was an underlying concern in the public interest – namely that a solicitor’s stewardship of the public’s money should be beyond reproach.
- Ms Rieveley’s actions had the potential to cause harm.
A more serious sanction was not considered to be proportionate by reference to the following factors in the Enforcement Strategy:
- There was no evidence that client money had been misappropriated, and no shortage on the firm’s client account.
- There were no allegations of dishonesty or lack of integrity and Ms Rieveley had not acted intentionally or recklessly in breach of her regulatory obligations.
SRA Accounts Rules breached
Rule 2.5 You ensure that client money is returned promptly to the client, or the third party for whom the money is held, as soon as there is no longer any proper reason to hold those funds.
Rule 8.1 You keep and maintain accurate, contemporaneous, and chronological records to:
(a) record in client ledgers identified by the client's name and an appropriate description of the matter to which they relate:
(i) all receipts and payments which are client money on the client side of the client ledger account