The Solicitor's Disciplinary Tribunal has suspended one Davenport Lyons partner and one former partner over intimidating letters sent out to alleged illegal file-sharers. It's also fined them £20,000 each.
The partners had participated in the dubious practice of firing out threatening letters accusing internet users of illegal file-sharing and demanding wads of cash in settlement. This has already led to the demise of porn-hunting firm ACS:Law. Now it's the turn of Davenport litigation partner David Gore and former partner Brian Miller to face the music.
The pair were referred to the Solicitors' Regulation Authority back in 2008 by consumer group Which? for their "bully-boy " letters. Moving at its usual lightening pace, it took the SRA two years to refer Gore and Miller to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. And the SDT has now found the pair guilty of six breaches of the Code of Conduct, for which they have been fined £20k each and suspended from practising for three months, according to a report in The Lawyer.
According to the SDT, Gore and Miller sent out more than 6,000 intimidating letters warning of serious consequences should accused file sharers not pay up. The SRA investigation found that assertions of innocence were ignored, whilst the SDT held that the pair had been too focused on making money and gave little regard to the impact of the letters on recipients.
To add to the twosome's woes, they have also been slapped with a £150k interim costs order. Although payment has been suspended to allow for an appeal, which is currently being prepared. A Davenport spokeswoman said that the SDT's decision was "totally unjustified", maintaining that Gore and Miller were only looking out for their clients who were "suffering significant losses as a result of the unlawful file-sharing".
Tip Off ROF
The partners had participated in the dubious practice of firing out threatening letters accusing internet users of illegal file-sharing and demanding wads of cash in settlement. This has already led to the demise of porn-hunting firm ACS:Law. Now it's the turn of Davenport litigation partner David Gore and former partner Brian Miller to face the music.
The pair were referred to the Solicitors' Regulation Authority back in 2008 by consumer group Which? for their "bully-boy " letters. Moving at its usual lightening pace, it took the SRA two years to refer Gore and Miller to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. And the SDT has now found the pair guilty of six breaches of the Code of Conduct, for which they have been fined £20k each and suspended from practising for three months, according to a report in The Lawyer.
According to the SDT, Gore and Miller sent out more than 6,000 intimidating letters warning of serious consequences should accused file sharers not pay up. The SRA investigation found that assertions of innocence were ignored, whilst the SDT held that the pair had been too focused on making money and gave little regard to the impact of the letters on recipients.
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An alleged file-sharer celebrating the news yesterday |
To add to the twosome's woes, they have also been slapped with a £150k interim costs order. Although payment has been suspended to allow for an appeal, which is currently being prepared. A Davenport spokeswoman said that the SDT's decision was "totally unjustified", maintaining that Gore and Miller were only looking out for their clients who were "suffering significant losses as a result of the unlawful file-sharing".
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