Wolstenholmes intervention the biggest of 2009

5 January 2010

The SRA's intervention into the practice of Wolstenholmes, which began on Christmas Eve, was the biggest of 2009, according to the regulator. The firm, closed during the investigation, has offices in Cheshire, Manchester, Birmingham and London.

A spokesman for the SRA said the practising certificates of five solicitors were suspended, including managing partner Imran Hussain. Helen Murgatroyd, Bobby Shabbir, Bilal Khawaja and Nasser Ilyas also had their PCs suspended, he said.

Wolstenholmes offered a full range of services, including conveyancing, family, employment, personal injury, immigration, private client and company work.

Its website mentions more than 200,000 completed conveyances, with monthly transactions worth £175 million.

According to the site, the secret of the firm's success is explained by "two centuries developing our expertise, refining our knowledge, keeping our nerve during financial hardship and having the nerve to expand beyond all comprehension in a recession."

Wolstenholmes is compared to a tree, offering "broad national cover with deep local roots" and staff described as offering a "wealth of courage and creativity."

Calls made by Solicitors Journal to phone numbers on the website went straight to answer phones with a standard message about the firm's office hours.

Richard Barnett, chairman of the Law Society's conveyancing and land law committee, said he was aware of the existence of Wolstenholmes but did not believe they could be regarded as a volume conveyancer.

"They were quite aggressive in offering a discounted service," he said. He added that he did not suggest that this explained the intervention.