The former firm owner was also ordered to pay £12,000 costs
The former owner of Liverpool-based J A Simon & Co Limited has been suspended for two years and ordered to pay £12,000 costs after a string of accounting failures at the firm.
Jonathan Andrew Simon, admitted in 1978, was the sole owner, director and manager of the firm, assisted by one qualified member of staff and one unadmitted employee. He was also the firm’s compliance officer.
Accountants reports dating back to 2013 identified issues and breaches of accounts rules. The firm was subject to forensic investigations in 2016 and 2018, which identified a host of failures. Simon assured the SRA the issues would be resolved, but they were not.
The firm, whose main areas of work were conveyancing...
