The Solicitors Regulation Authority has intervened in a multi-office law firm and taken regulatory action against three solicitors following concerns about financial compliance and governance.
The regulator confirmed that it has shut down Hunter’s Solicitors LLP, a firm based in Buckinghamshire, after identifying suspected dishonesty involving an employee responsible for financial administration. The individual, Jeff Hazelgrove, served as the firm’s Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration (COFA).
As part of the intervention, three solicitors connected to the firm — Angelo Luiz-Barrea, Christopher Stocker, and Howard Rind — have also been made subject to regulatory action. The SRA stated that the measures relate to alleged failures to comply with regulatory rules, although there are no allegations of dishonesty against the three solicitors.
To manage the closure and protect client interests, the regulator has appointed Shakespeare Martineau as the intervening agent. The firm has begun contacting clients to arrange the transfer of files and ensure that ongoing matters continue to be handled appropriately.
Hunter’s Solicitors LLP operated from its head office in High Wycombe and maintained nine additional offices across Essex, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, and Oxfordshire, often trading under different business names. Financial accounts for the year ending 31 March 2025 show the firm employed 42 staff members and reported net assets of approximately £224,000.
The firm had previously faced regulatory sanctions. In April 2025, it entered into a regulatory settlement with the SRA and was fined nearly £25,000 for breaches of anti-money laundering regulations.
This marks the second intervention involving a multi-office law firm in recent weeks, following regulatory action against PM Law Group and its associated practices.
Regulatory interventions of this nature are intended to protect client interests and maintain public confidence in the legal profession while ensuring firms comply with professional and financial regulations.
