The Solicitors Regulation Authority has announced an intervention and shut down conveyancing firm GW Law Limited based in Liverpool after raising suspicions about the conduct of one of its directors.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority whom as part of the same action, suspended director Christopher Williams, citing reasons to suspect dishonesty on his part.
It is also alleged by the SRA that Williams had failed to comply with accounts rules and the SRA code of conduct.
North-west based legal firm Stephensons Solicitors LLP has been appointed as the intervening agent to handle the firm’s affairs.
GW Legal is the trading name of GW Law which traces its roots back 40 years when the firm was founded as Goldsmith Williams in 1984.
In recent years the firm won several awards, including “Best Conveyancer” at the 2016 Specialist Finance Awards and the business was short-listed in the Best Conveyancing/Legal Search Services category at the Moneyfacts Awards in 2022.
It appears the GW Law Limited firm grew to its peak as the pandemic hit in 2020 with 80 staff members in its Liverpool offices.
As Covid took it toll on the housing sector and with the Truss mini budget of September 2022 hitting many conveyancing firms hard, the number of employees at GW Legal had fallen to 32.
In 2023 the firm filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators as part of what it described as ‘a restructuring process’ with its remaining workforce transferred to GW Law Ltd.
Upon the rebranding to GW Legal in 2017 the firm moved location to new custom-designed office space in Chapel Street in Liverpool’s business district.
Prior to the SRA action GW Legal offered services in conveyancing, remortgages, equity release, personal injury and also wills and probate.
Stephensons Solicitors LLP is a full service law firm with solicitors in Bolton, solicitors in Manchester, solicitors in London, solicitors in St Helens, and solicitors in Wigan.
