The Solicitors Regulation Authority has shut down Preston law firm Gowlings Solicitors with immediate effect, citing the need to protect client interests.<\/p>\n
The regulator closed the Derby House practice on 20 October, freezing bank accounts and removing client files to SRA custody.<\/p>\n
Gowlings operated across 13 practice areas including residential conveyancing, commercial property, family law and personal injury.<\/p>\n
Lester Aldridge has been appointed as intervention agent to assist with the closure.<\/p>\n
The SRA’s decision notice stated it was necessary to intervene “to protect the interests of clients or former clients” under the Administration of Justice Act 1985.<\/p>\n
The firm had previously been rebuked by the SRA in July for failing to comply with an undertaking within the agreed timescale while acting for a seller in a conveyancing transaction.<\/p>\n
The regulator found Gowlings “to be reckless” in agreeing to the undertaking without checking a mortgage redemption figure.<\/p>\n
It was issued with a written rebuke and ordered to pay costs of \u00a3600.<\/p>\n
Accounts filed for the year to 31 March 2025 showed net assets of \u00a3163,700, with an average of 21 employees during the year.<\/p>\n
Richard Andrew Seddon, admitted as a solicitor in 1992, is listed as the sole person with significant control.<\/p>\n
In 2021, Seddon and Gowlings were jointly fined \u00a312,000 after failing to complete undertakings to another firm on a refinance transaction.<\/p>\n
Gowlings Solicitors has no connection with international firm Gowling WLG.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SRA intervenes to protect client interests<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":264565,"featured_media":2181256,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[120902,58124],"coauthors":[116163],"class_list":["post-2181162","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-legal","category-professionals","tag-featured-story","tag-lancashire","tag-top-story"],"yoast_head":"\n