A legal executive based in Nottingham has been disqualified by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) following a series of dishonest acts involving the misappropriation of more than £219,000 from deceased clients’ estates.
Christopher Takamitsu Foster, previously employed at Robert Barber & Sons in West Bridgford, was found to have abused his position of trust between May 2022 and May 2023. An SRA investigation revealed that Mr. Foster had transferred large sums of client funds to a private company he owned, made unauthorised payments to unrelated third parties, and used estate money for personal expenses.
In an apparent effort to conceal his misconduct, Mr. Foster also fabricated documents and misled his supervisors.
The SRA concluded that Mr. Foster had breached key professional standards, including acting with honesty and integrity. As a result, he has been disqualified under Section 99 of the Legal Services Act 2007 from holding any role in SRA-regulated law firms, including as a manager, employee, or in key compliance positions such as Head of Legal Practice.
In addition to the disqualification, Mr. Foster has been ordered to pay £1,350 in costs.
The firm, Robert Barber & Sons, is located at 46 Bridgford Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham. There is no suggestion that other staff at the firm were involved in or aware of Mr. Foster’s actions.
One Response
So he misappropriated £219,000 in funds over a 12 month period, and was fined £1,350…?!?