Mr Collins was admitted as a solicitor in October 1995. At all material times he practised as an associate solicitor at Russell Jones & Walker (‘RJW’) (between 2004 and 2012) and subsequently as a Principal Lawyer (Partner) at Slater & Gordon UK Limited (‘S&G’), until he resigned on 21 December 2021 during the course of disciplinary proceedings brought against him by S&G.

The Tribunal approved the Agreed Outcome submitted by the parties. Mr Collis had made false and misleading statements about the progress of a case for approximately 16 years of a 17 year retainer and had created false documents to support the false narrative. The Tribunal found Mr Collins’s dishonest conduct to have been repeated over an extensive period of time. In mitigation, it was noted that Mr Collins had co-operated in full with the investigation into his conduct, and that he had a previously unblemished 20 year career. Given the nature and seriousness of the misconduct, the Tribunal determined that the only reasonable and proportionate sanction was to strike Mr Collins off the Roll of Solicitors. The Tribunal did not find (and indeed it was not submitted) that there were exceptional circumstances such that striking off would be disproportionate. Accordingly, the parties having submitted that strike off was the appropriate sanction.