Two Davenport Lyons partners have been fined £20,000 for sending intimidating letters to people accused of illegal filesharing
Brian Miller, who has since left the firm, and David Gore were also suspended from practice for three months and ordered to pay interim costs of £150,000.
Between 2006 and 2009, they sent more than 6,000 letters to people alleged to have indulged in unlawful file sharing in breach of copyright laws. The letters demanded compensation and costs, and warned of further action and increased costs if the matter was not dealt with urgently. A Solicitors Regulation Authority investigation uncovered evidence that protests of innocence were disregarded.
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal found they had breached the Solicitors Code of Conduct on six counts, including that they did not act in their clients’ best interests and that they used their position as a solicitor to take unfair advantage of other persons.
