Two partners at a law firm have been fired for falsifying property documents submitted to the Land Registry.
Graeme Taylor and Russell Shapiro, the probate and will enforcement officers at London solicitors Gelberg, initially admitted the crime. 
Shapiro later recanted and tried to claim it was all Taylor's fault, but the Attorney Disciplinary Tribunal did not accept his new explanation of events.
fictitious name
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) became involved after other solicitors flagged the breach. Taylor was acting for Mohammed Taj, the head of a wealthy family that owned many properties in east London, when he died.
He attempted to mislead local authorities by falsifying documents and using a fictitious name while representing the executor of the estate.
Shapiro said he was not involved in any of the transactions and did not file any documents with the Land Registry. He said Mr. Teiyo altered the document to make it appear as if Mr. Shapiro had filed it.
all suspicions were proven
The court found that all charges, including fraud, had been proven against both defendants and ordered them to be removed from the list of attorneys.
Both men had enough experience to understand the nature of their wrongdoing. ”
The court said: “Both were long-standing partners in the firm and had sufficient experience to understand the nature of misconduct and the consequences arising from it.”
“Overall, the court assessed their individual and collective liability as very high, although it should be noted that the first defendant (Taylor) was likely to have been the leading figure in this undertaking. .
fraud
“This was not a momentary or momentary error in judgment, but repeated misconduct involving fraud,” the court said.
Taylor was ordered to pay costs of £60,000 and Shapiro £10,000.
Gelbergs had offices in the City and Islington, which have since closed.
Read the full judgment here
