Law firm HCR Law (also known as Harrison Clark Rickerbys) and it’s Partner Dr. Saverio Salandra are being sued for negligence this blog can reveal.
The legal proceedings relate to fraudster Matthew Quigley of Zenith Partners, who HCR represented but failed to undertake basic client checks – including fraud and anti-money laundering checks.
The Particulars of Claim include allegations that HCR’s Dr. Saverio Salandra requested information to conduct fraud and anti-money laundering checks – however the information requested was never provided.
According to the Particulars of Claim, despite Dr. Saverio Salandra requesting the information in March 2024 and it never being provided, Harrison Clark Rickerbys proceeded to act in numerous matters for Zenith Partners and Matthew Quigley regardless, which is alleged to be reckless and in breach of the Solicitors Code of Conduct.
The Particulars of Claim also allege that Dr. Saverio Salandra concealed from another firm of solicitors the fact that Zenith and Quigley had failed money laundering and fraud checks, and also concealed the fact that they knew Matthew Quigley was under criminal investigation
In a separate matter, Partner Oliver Weiss of HCR Law threatened former associates of Matthew Quigley with legal proceedings in May of 2024. Weiss was then informed by Anthony Gold Solicitors of fraud by Matthew Quigley and Zenith Partners – but proceeded to continue to act and continued to correspond with Anthony Gold after complaints of fraud, referring to them as “nonsense” – despite Zenith and Matthew Quigley having failed money laundering checks several months prior.
According to the Particulars of Claim, the failures of Harrison Clark Rickerbys and Dr Salandra resulted in the inducement of a property company incurring fees with Zenith and paying legal costs that it never would, had it have known about the failures to complete basic client checks..
HCR and Dr. Saverio Salandra have instructed DAC Beachcroft – although it is presently unclear whether the Claim will be admitted, defended or settled.
Update
As of May 2025, I can confirm this matter has been SETTLED, following on from the attempt of the two Defendants to defend the claim.
On 12 May 2025 the Court approved a TOMLIN ORDER, between the two parties, in which the matter was stayed and the Court vacated further hearings.
The terms of the SETTLEMENT are strictly confidential, but one may ask themselves who had the most to lose…. Was it a self-litigating Claimant who would have to pay a Court fee and no costs if it lost (as the matter was in the Small Claims Track)….. Or was it Defendant solicitors, who if they failed to defend the case, would be subject to paying damages, face regulatory action for their failures, and reputational harm in the exposure of their misconduct…. One can only speculate!
Meanwhile Matthew Quigley is in big trouble……but we can’t say and more than that at this time!
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