City lawyer at Farrer & Co fined £10k by legal regulator for drink driving
An associate at City law firm Farrer & Co has been fined by the legal regulator after he was charged with drink driving last year.
Piers King lost control of his vehicle last February after attending a rugby match. The police attended the scene, where King was breathalysed and charged with driving a motor vehicle after consuming alcohol that exceeded the limit.
He pleaded guilty at Bath Magistrates Court last April and was disqualified from driving for 22 months and was ordered to pay nearly £2,000 in a fine.
King, who joined Farrer & Co in October 2021, specialises in residential property and secured lending.
He reported the incident and conviction to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). He also admitted he failed to act in a way that upholds public trust and confidence in the solicitors’ profession and in legal services, which are outlined in the SRA principles.
The guidance indicates a broad penalty bracket of 16-49 per cent of King’s annual gross income is appropriate for a fine.
The SRA considers a basic penalty of £16,842.40 was appropriate as a fine due to the high level of alcohol he had on his breath. However, as King co-operated fully with the investigation and assisted the SRA in obtaining documents, the fine was reduced to £10,105.44.
He also agreed to pay the costs of the SRA’s investigation in the sum of £300.
Farrer & Co was contacted for comment.