Resigned from Magic Circle firm
A former partner at A&O Shearman has been sanctioned by the solicitors’ regulator following a drink-driving conviction.
John Goldfinch joined the Magic Circle firm in February this year but later resigned following his conviction at Southampton Magistrates’ Court.
A notice published this week by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) reveals Goldfinch was arrested after the vehicle he had been driving collided with a parked unattended vehicle.
The SRA reports that a subsequent breathalyser test shows a reading of 107 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath — three times the legal limit.
The structured finance specialist pleaded guilty to drink driving. He was fined £1,000, ordered to pay £85 in court costs and a £400 surcharge, and received a 24-month driving ban.
The SRA was notified by Goldfinch on the day he was charged and has now handed him a written rebuke and ordered him to pay £300 in costs.
In determining the appropriate sanction, the regulator considered that Goldfinch fully cooperated with the police, was the sole passenger in the car, and that no one was injured. The notice also states that he provided full details to the owner of the parked vehicle and covered the damage costs within 24 hours.
Responding to reports of his resignation back in September, a spokesperson for A&O Shearman said: “The firm takes such matters very seriously. The partner in question has accepted responsibility for this personal matter and has elected to resign from the firm. We wish him the best going forward.”
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