FCA Enforcement
Claims management company Hall and Hanley was fined £91,000 by the FCA for insufficient due diligence on third-party marketing data, sending marketing texts without consent, and submitting PPI claims supported by forged customer signatures on letters of authority. Sources Financial Reporter: FCA secures fines against two claims management companies Pinsent Masons: FCA confirms first fines of claims management companies
Read More →Expert Evidence
Dr Zuber Bux, a GP who provided expert reports for a law firm where his wife was a director, was struck off the medical register by the GMC for diagnosing food poisoning in approximately 400 reports without sufficient evidence. The Medical Practitioners Tribunal described his conduct as “wholly deplorable and reprehensible.” Sources Lancashire Evening Post: Doctor struck off for preparing misleading holiday sickness claims
Read More →Criminal Conviction
Astrid Halberstadt-Twum of Cleveland & Co (East London) submitted approximately 5,795 false legal aid claims for immigration work — either for non-existent people or cases where the firm was never instructed. The fraud totalled £4.1 million in wrongly paid claims plus £758,000 in overpayments. She and her husband were jailed and she was struck off by the SDT in 2019. Sources Legal Futures: Legal aid fraud solicitor fails to set aside £5m judgment
Read More →Claims Management
Prodial Ltd (Brighton) was fined £350,000 for making 46 million automated nuisance calls from a residential property, harvesting information sold to claims management companies and generating approximately £1 million in turnover. Sources Infosecurity Magazine: ICO Slaps Nuisance Calls Biz With £350,000 Fine
Read More →Data Protection
Keurboom Communications received a then-record ICO fine of £400,000 for making 99.5 million automated unsolicited calls about road traffic accident and PPI claims over 18 months, often at antisocial hours. Sources Winston & Strawn: ICO issues record fine for nuisance calls
Read More →Cold Calling
The SDT found Phil Shiner (Public Interest Lawyers, Birmingham) guilty of 22 charges of professional misconduct. Charges included dishonesty, lack of integrity, authorising cold-calling of Iraqi clients, and paying prohibited referral fees exceeding £25,000. PIL had handled approximately 3,392 Iraq abuse allegations and received roughly £3 million in legal aid. The firm closed in August 2016 and Shiner was declared bankrupt in March 2017. Sources Legal Futures: Profession under fire after Shiner is struck off Wikipedia: Phil Shiner
Read More →
Independent information platform on class action risks, litigation funding structures, and claimant awareness.