Luis
Gonzalez
Registered foreign lawyer
819898
Decision - Employee-related decision
Outcome: Control of non-qualified staff (Section 43 / Section 99 order)
Outcome date: 20 May 2026
Published date: 16 July 2026
Firm details
Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome
Name: Pinsent Masons LLP
Address(es): 30 Crown Place LONDON EC2A 4ES England
Firm ID: 471972
Outcome details
This outcome was reached by SRA decision.
Decision details
Who does this decision relate to?
Luis Gonzalez whose last known address was in Spain.
A person who is or was involved in a legal practice but is not a solicitor.
Summary of decision
The SRA has put restrictions on where and how Mr Gonzalez can work in an SRA regulated firm. It was found that:
Mr Gonzalez, who is not a solicitor, 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 Gonzalez is a Spanish lawyer regulated by the SRA as a Registered Foreign Lawyer until 1 May 2024. Between 9 June 2021 to 30 April 2024 Mr Gonzalez was employed or renumerated by Pinsent Masons LLP whose global head office is at 30 Crown Place, Earl Street, London, EC2A 4ES. He was a partner and worked in the Madrid office.
It was found that on two occasions in August 2022 and March 2024, Mr Gonzalez forwarded emails to a manager which falsely suggested that earlier emails had been sent when they had not.
Mr Gonzalez's actions were found to be dishonest.
Decision on outcome
An order pursuant to section 43(2) of the Solicitors Act 1974 was imposed as Mr Gonzalez' conduct meant that it was undesirable for him to be involved in a legal practice without the SRA's prior approval. The order pursuant to section 43 was made with effect from 28 days of the date of the letter or email notifying Mr Gonzalez of this decision.
Mr Gonzalez's conduct was serious because it involved dishonesty on two occasions, and such behaviour risks affecting public trust and confidence in the profession.
Mr Gonzalez was also ordered to pay a proportion of the SRA's costs of £1350.
What our Section 43 order means
- no solicitor shall employ or remunerate him in connection with his/her practice as a solicitor;
- no employee of a solicitor shall employ or remunerate him in connection with the solicitor's practice;
- no recognised body shall employ or remunerate him;
- no manager or employee of a recognised body shall employ or remunerate him in connection with the business of that body;
- no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit him to be a manager of the body; and
- 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.