A former Fulbright & Jaworski litigation partner and his wife, the firm's director of administration, have been jailed after being found guilty of stealing over £100k in fraudulent expenses.

Richard Simkin and his wife Zakia Sharif were both sent down for 16 months after stealing hundreds of thousands from their firm. The couple, who also kept their marriage under wraps from colleagues, managed to steal undetected from Fulbright over a four year period starting in 2004. Which isn't a great indictment of the firm's accounting safeguards.

Sharif, who claimed over thousdands in false expenses, used her ill-gotten gains to buy cosmetic treatments, electrical goods, designer bags and, naturally, a £2,400 souvenir photograph of Muhammed Ali. Meanwhile Simkin trousered money though privately billing clients and claiming false expenses. To make matters worse, it turned out that Sharif had tricked Fulbright into employing her by falsely claiming to have an law degrees from King's College London. All in all, rather embarrassing for all concerned.

Muhammed Ali does not approve of claiming false expenses

Sharif pleaded guilty to false accounting, fraud by representation and dishonestly obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception. Or stealing, as its also known. Whilst Simkin pleaded guilty to false accounting and fraud by abuse of position, according to a Law Gazette report.

"No client ever suffered any loss" said a spokeswoman for Fulbright. "The firm now regards this matter as closed" she added, optimistically.

Fans of legal expenses fiddling shouldn't miss ex-Hogan Lovells litigation partner Christopher Grierson who'll be in the dock on 27 March to face claims that he stole more than £1m from his former firm.