Langton Law and BPS Solicitors Closed by the SRA
In a significant development, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has shut down two Liverpool-based claims firms, Langton Law and BPS Solicitors, on the same day. Both firms were closely connected to McDermott Smith, another Liverpool firm that went into administration just a month ago.
The SRA’s intervention in BPS Solicitors followed their conclusion that its manager, Alistair Davies, had breached the Administration of Justice Act 1985. While no dishonesty or violation of accounts rules was suspected, the firm was immediately closed, and Davies, who has been practicing since 1988, was suspended.
Similarly, Langton Law Limited was closed, and its manager, Kathryn Langton, was suspended. Langton, admitted to the profession in 2009, was cited for potential failures to adhere to SRA principles, the code of conduct, and accounts regulations.
McDermott Smith Solicitors
McDermott Smith, which entered administration last month, had seen a substantial rise in both its work in progress and its debts over the previous year. After McDermott Smith closed, BPS Solicitors reportedly took on some of its ongoing work. Until April, BPS had been registered at the same Liverpool address as McDermott Smith, and Alistair Davies joined BPS from McDermott Smith that same month. BPS’s head of housing disrepair also came from McDermott Smith.
Although BPS was smaller in scale than McDermott Smith, the firm grew rapidly in recent years. Accounts from 2022/23 revealed that BPS went from no staff to two employees and saw its debt rise from £110,000 to over £1.8 million. By the time the SRA intervened, the firm had around 40 employees. Earlier this summer, BPS had been actively recruiting housing disrepair solicitors and had even offered training contracts to three staff members. These individuals have since taken to LinkedIn to seek new firms willing to continue their training contracts.
Langton Law, established by Kathryn Langton, was incorporated in December 2022. Langton had been a director at McDermott Smith before stepping down in 2024. Until just last week, Langton Law had been operating from the same address as McDermott Smith before moving to a new city centre location on Dale Street. A week ago, Langton Law announced plans on LinkedIn to relocate to “bigger and better premises,” teasing that details of the new location would be revealed soon.
How We Can Help Current Clients
Though Stephensons Solicitors has been appointed as the SRA’s Intervention Agent for both BPS Solicitors and Langton Law, they are not responsible for any creditors or the progression of ongoing cases.
Clients currently involved in housing disrepair or motor finance matters are advised to seek new legal representation. Stephensons will assist by forwarding any recovered case files to the new law firms to ensure a smoother transition.
The unexpected closure of a law firm can present considerable difficulties for both employees and clients. It’s always unfortunate to see support staff lose their jobs through no fault of their own, and clients now face the challenge of finding new legal representation without prior notice.
If you’ve been affected by this situation and need legal help, contact us at 0345 504 0006 or fill out of the contact forms on this page for a no-obligation consultation.
Please note, we specialise in Housing Conditions claims for tenants in properties owned by housing associations or councils in England and Wales and may not be able to assist with all legal matters.