A LAWYER from a former Blackburn firm is set to face a legal watchdog to answer claims of dishonesty.

Agents acting on behalf of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) first intervened in the practice of Lawson Taylor Solicitors in December 2022.

Officials then said they had reason to suspect the firm, based at Daisyfield Business Centre in Appleby Street, had been involved in dishonesty and partner Dominic MacKnight may have contravened aspects of the Solicitors Act 1974.

Now the SRA has disclosed that formal proceedings are being brought against MacKnight before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.

An SRA official said: "The tribunal has certified that there is a case to answer in respect of allegations which are or include that -

"While in practice as a director at Lawson Taylor Solicitors Limited, between November 2021 and September 2022, Dominic Leon Macknight caused, or allowed to be caused, improper withdrawals from the firm’s client account into the office account which led to a minimum cash shortage.

"He failed to promptly replace the minimum cash shortage.

"Between October 2022 and July 2023, he provided the SRA with inaccurate and/or misleading explanations and subsequently failed to co-operate with the SRA.

"Between October 2021 and December 2022, he failed to ensure that reconciliations were completed at least every five weeks.

"The allegations are subject to a hearing before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and are as yet unproven."

Companies House records show that Mr MacKnight had been involved with Lawson Taylor as a director since November 2021, following the resignation of a previous principal the previous July.

No accounts have been filed for firm since July 2020 and there is an active proposal to strike the company off the official register, which was suspended last May. The intervening agents were Wigan-based Stephensons.