Needs SRA approval for law firm work
A paralegal who misrepresented his legal qualifications to his former law firm has been barred from working in the solicitors’ profession.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) found that Guillaume Kitumaini, “on his admission”, misled Manchester-based outfit firm Bexley Beaumont by presenting it with a “candidate profile/CV stating that he had obtained an LLM qualification with a merit”, despite not having done so.
According to the published notice, Kitumaini further misled the firm when it questioned him about the accuracy of the information provided in his CV.
The regulator said the paralegal’s conduct breached duties that applied to him as an employee, namely to act honestly and uphold the trust and confidence in the profession and in the provision of legal services.
Kitumaini is now subject to a section 43 order, preventing him from working for a regulated law firm without the SRA’s prior approval. He was also directed to pay costs of £1,350.