Sam Ulegede
Employee
401012

Decision - Employee-related decision

Outcome: Control of non-qualified staff (Section 43 / Section 99 order)

Outcome date: 16 April 2025

Published date: 29 September 2025

Firm details

Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome

Name: Gans & Co Solicitors LLP

Address(es): 214-216 Rye Lane, Peckham, London, SE15 4NL

Firm ID: 489594

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Decision details

Summary of decision

Mr Ulegede submitted information to the Court which misled the Court into believing that the firm for which Mr Ulegede was working was acting for the applicant in the case. Mr Ulegede also indicated to the instructed Counsel that the firm was representing the client. This was untrue as Mr Ulegede had undertaken the case in his personal capacity. Mr Ulegede was found to have been dishonest.

The SRA has put restrictions on where and how Mr Ulegede can work in an SRA regulated firm. It was found that:

Mr Ulegede, who is not a solicitor, is or was involved in a legal practice and has occasioned or been a party to an act or default which involved such conduct on his part that it is undesirable for him to be involved in a legal practice in any of the ways described in the order below.

The facts of the case

Mr Ulegede sent an email to the Court from the email address of the firm for which he worked containing a Notice of Acting and asking that the firm be put on record. The firm was not instructed and the email was sent without the firm's knowledge. Mr Ulegede was dealing with the case in his personal capacity. Mr Ulegede also represented to Counsel that the firm was acting for the applicant.

Decision on outcome

An order pursuant to section 43(2) of the Solicitors Act 1974 was imposed as Mr Ulegede's conduct meant that it was undesirable for him to be involved in a legal practice without the SRA's prior approval.

Mr Ulegede's conduct was serious because he was dishonest, and his conduct has the potential to damage public trust and confidence in the profession. Mr Ulegede was also ordered to pay a proportion of the SRA's costs of £600.

What our Section 43 order means

1. no solicitor shall employ or remunerate him in connection with his/her practice as a solicitor;
2. no employee of a solicitor shall employ or remunerate him in connection with the solicitor's practice;
3. no recognised body shall employ or remunerate him;
4. no manager or employee of a recognised body shall employ or remunerate him in connection with the business of that body;
5. no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit him to be a manager of the body; and
6. no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit him to have an interest in the body except in accordance with the SRA's prior written permission.