Malika
Williams-Gregoire
Solicitor
528838
Decision - Fined
Outcome: Fine
Outcome date: 4 June 2026
Published date: 18 August 2026
Firm details
Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome
Name: Hepburns Solicitors LLP
Address(es): Unit 1, Blackwater Court, 17-19 Blackwater Street, East Dulwich, London, SE22 8SD
Firm ID: 508445
Firm or organisation at date of publication
Name: The Insolvency Service
Address(es): 1 Westfield Avenue, London, E20 1HZ
Firm ID: 643090
Outcome details
This outcome was reached by SRA decision.
Decision details
Who does this disciplinary decision relate to?
Ms Williams-Gregoire is a solicitor and former owner and manager of Hepburns Solicitors LLP, located at Unit 1, Blackwater Court, 17-19 Blackwater Street, East Dulwich, London (the firm).
The firm closed on 22 September 2023.
Short summary of decision
We have fined Ms Williams-Gregoire for:
- Failing to ensure the firm complied with its obligations under the SRA Accounts Rules 2019.
- Allowing the firm to provide legal services, when it was not authorised to do so.
Facts of the misconduct
On 14 April 2022 and 30 October 2023, a forensic investigation officer at the SRA produced a report identifying a number of issues which occurred when Ms Williams-Gregoire was a manager and owner at the firm. She was also the firm’s compliance officer for finance and administration (COFA) and compliance officer for legal practice (COLP). This included:
- A failure to maintain proper and accurate client ledgers, this resulted in a cash shortage on the client account.
- Allowed the firm to provide legal services when it was not authorised by the SRA.
- A failure to sign reconciliations.
On 13 November 2023, the SRA decided to intervene into the firm on the ground that it was necessary to intervene to protect the interests of clients (or former or potential clients) (paragraph 32(1)(e) of Schedule 2 Administration of Justice Act 1985 (as amended)).
Findings
It was found that Malika Williams-Gregoire, who is a solicitor:
Allegation 1
While she was a manager and compliance officer for legal practice (COLP) at the firm, caused and/or allowed it to lose SRA authorisation on 1 November 2020 and thereafter to continue to practise and undertake reserved legal activities for clients when the firm was not authorised.
In doing so, she breached paragraphs 2.1(a) and 9.1(a) of the SRA Code of Conduct for Firms 2019 and Principle 2 of the SRA Principles 2019.
Allegation 2
Failed in her duties as the firm’s manager and COFA to ensure that the firm maintained proper accounting records and books of account and failed to sign client account reconciliations.
In doing so, she breached rules 5.3 and 8.3 of the SRA Accounts Rules 2019, paragraph 5.2 of the SRA Code of Conduct for Firms 2019 and Principle 2 of the SRA Principles 2019.
Decision on sanction
It was decided that a financial penalty was an appropriate and proportionate sanction.
This was because her conduct was serious by reference to the following factors in the SRA Enforcement Strategy:
- Any lesser sanction would not be appropriate.
- To send a signal to those we regulate more widely with the aim of preventing similar behaviour by others.
- Some public sanction is required to uphold public confidence in the delivery of legal services.
Aggravating factors included that Ms Williams-Gregoire’s conduct:
- Put public trust and confidence in the profession at risk. She breached the SRA Accounts Rules, which allowed a shortage on client account.
- Ms Williams-Gregoire was an experienced solicitor, who held statutory compliance roles at the firm. She was directly responsible for the failure to properly maintain the firm’s books of account.
- The breaches arose as a result of Ms Williams-Gregoire’s reckless disregard of her regulatory obligations.
The mitigating factors were Ms Williams-Gregoire’s co-operation with the SRA.
In view of the above, Ms Williams-Gregoire’s conduct was placed in conduct band C which has a financial penalty bracket of between 16% and 49% of her gross annual income. Her conduct was placed in the middle of this bracket, at C4 (32% of gross annual income). A discount of 10% was applied to the penalty to take account of Ms Williams-Gregoire’s co-operation.
Financial penalty and costs
Ms Williams-Gregoire was ordered to pay a financial penalty of £5,276 and costs of £1,350.
SRA Standards and Regulations breached
SRA Principles 2019
Principle 2 of the SRA Principles: You act in a way that upholds public trust and confidence in the solicitors' profession and in legal services provided by authorised persons.
Code of Conduct for Firms 2019
Paragraph 2.1(a): You have effective governance structures, arrangements, systems and controls in place that ensure you comply with all the SRA's regulatory arrangements, as well as with other regulatory and legislative requirements, which apply to you.
Paragraph 5.2: You safeguard money and assets entrusted to you by clients and others.
Paragraph 9.1(a): If you are a COLP you must take all reasonable steps to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of your firm's authorisation.
SRA Accounts Rules 2019
Rule 5.3: You only withdraw client money from a client account if sufficient funds are held on behalf of that specific client or third party to make the payment.
Rule 8.3: You complete at least every five weeks, for all client accounts held or operated by you, a reconciliation of the bank or building society statement balance with the cashbook balance and the client ledger total, a record of which must be signed off by the COFA or a manager of the firm. You should promptly investigate and resolve any differences shown by the reconciliation.