Solicitor Bryn Roberts fined £20,000 for regulatory breaches

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has fined Bryn Roberts, a sole practitioner at the Mid-Wales firm Evan Roberts, £20,148 plus costs for “a reckless disregard to the risk of harm and his regulatory obligations.”

Following reports of delays in estate administration in 2021, a forensic investigation revealed a client account shortage of approximately £30,850 that persisted for nearly three years. The investigation also found that no client account reconciliations had been completed and identified potential client debit balances totaling roughly £1,520.

In addition to financial discrepancies, the SRA found that Roberts failed to act in the best interests of his clients, misfiled client files, and failed to submit a qualified accountant’s report. Roberts also demonstrated a pattern of non-cooperation, providing only partial responses to statutory production notices and failing to provide satisfactory explanations for multiple client complaints, including those raised by the Legal Ombudsman.