The respondent accountants had certified accounts for a firm of solicitors whose dishonest defaults later lead to substantial claims on the compensation fund set up by the claimants.
Held: The Law Society who collected funds from the profession at large and would have to pay out compensation were clearly owed a duty of care by the respondents.
Citations:
Times 04-Jul-2000, Gazette 27-Jul-2000, [2000] 1 All ER 515, [2000] 1 WLR 1921, A3/2000/0175, [2000] EWCA Civ 5563
Links:
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Citing:
Appeal from – Law Society v KPMG Peat Marwick and Others ChD 3-Nov-1999
An accountant, auditing a firm of solicitors, and providing a certificate to the Law Society knew that the Society and its compensation fund would rely upon that certificate and so owed it a duty of care. A negligently given certificate could lead . .
Cited by:
Cited – Law Society v Sephton and Co (a Firm) and Others HL 10-May-2006
A firm of solicitors had a member involved in a substantial fraud. The defendant firm of accountants certified the firm’s accounts. There were later many calls upon the compensation fund operated by the claimants, who sought recovery in turn from . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Professional Negligence, Legal Professions
Updated: 19 May 2022; Ref: scu.82963