Andrew Brodie
Employee
7308773

Decision - Employee-related decision

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

Outcome date: 6 August 2025

Published date: 28 August 2025

Firm details

Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome

Name: Burness Paull LLP

Address(es): 50 Lothian Road, Festival Square, Edinburgh, EH3 9WJ Scotland

Firm ID: 838632

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Decision details

Who does this decision relate to?

Mr Andrew Brodie, whose last known address was in Cumbernauld, Glasgow.

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 Brodie can work in an SRA regulated firm. It was found that:

Mr Brodie, 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 Brodie is a non-authorised person. At the time of the misconduct, he was employed as a Power BI Developer in the IT Department of Burness Paull LLP (the firm). The firm is a recognised body.

It was found that on 1 August 2024, Mr Brodie provided the firm with a fabricated invoice in order to obtain an advance payment of his salary.

He had requested an urgent advance from the firm, stating that he had an outstanding medical bill that was due for payment the following day. The firm agreed to payment of the advance, subject to receipt of documentary evidence of the medical bill. Mr Brodie then submitted an invoice purporting to be from his healthcare provider, to the firm's HR Adviser. However, upon the firm making enquiries to verify the invoice, the healthcare provider confirmed that they had no record of Mr Brodie as a patient and that they did not issue the invoice.

Mr Brodie subsequently admitted that he had fabricated the invoice. He said he was in financial difficulty and owed money to a loan shark. He expressed regret for his actions and tendered his resignation.

Mr Brodie's conduct was found to be dishonest.

Decision on outcome

An order pursuant to section 43(2) of the Solicitors Act 1974 was imposed as Mr Brodie's 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 the date of the letter or email notifying Mr Brodie of this decision.

Mr Brodie was also ordered to pay the SRA's costs of £600.

Decision on outcome

An order pursuant to section 43(2) of the Solicitors Act 1974 was imposed as Mr Brodie's 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 the date of the letter or email notifying Mr Brodie of this decision.

Mr Brodie was also ordered to pay 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.