Investigators from the Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal (SSDT) carried out an extensive probe into lawyer David Lyons and uncovered a dodgy practices.
The 64-year-old of Kilmacolm, Inverclyde, consistently ripped-off clients by charging excessive amounts for work and fees he was not entitled to.
It also emerged during an investigation that Lyons secured a £1,010,000 property loan from the Bank of Ireland, but kept the cash for himself.
His partner Duncan Drummond, of Pollokshields, Glasgow, has also been struck off.
The 60-year-old was also found guilty of pocketing fees.
In one case Drummond charged £15,700 for work he’d carried out which auditors calculated should actually have totalled £2,350 – a mark up of 568%. In another case he sent out a £4,000 bill for £1,125 worth of work.
Defending his position, Drummond claimed their firm had developed financial problems after one of its partners left leaving them with a serious debt problem.
Lyons made no attempt to defend himself to the SSDT.
Concerns about their firm, Lyons Laing which had offices in Greenock and Glasgow, were first raised as far back as 2009.
At the time a spokeswoman for the Law Society of Scotland said: “We had recognised problems at the firm and had prosecuted both partners before the independent
Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal in February this year.
“Further concerns were identified during an inspection by our financial compliance team in April and May.
“The society then made an application to the Court of Session for the appointment of a judicial factor to investigate the society’s concerns.”
It was after the conclusion of that investigation legal chiefs moved to ban the pair.
Police Scotland said there is no investigation into the duo.
The Bank of Ireland had no comment to make.
Striking off Lyons, officials from the SSDT concluded: “There was no sign of any remorse or insight into his conduct.
“He was a clear danger to the public and his conduct was extremely damaging to the reputation of the legal profession. He was clearly not a fit person to continue to be a solicitor.”
They also concluded Drummond should be banned from working as a solicitor.
Mr Lyons was unavailable for comment.
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