A HIGH-profile conveyancer’s actions of being dishonest, reckless and ultimately lacking integrity, has led him to being disqualified from the profession.

Lloyd Davies, aged 55, who lives near Ross-on-Wye, was found guilty of misconduct and misleading learners registered with training company The Conveyancing Academy, which has since lost its official accreditation.

As a result, the work the apprentices were undertaking, was rendered worthless.

Davies’ punishment was permanent disqualification from the profession, and he was ordered to pay costs of £175,000.

Davies first qualified as a solicitor in 1995 and later become a licensed conveyancer in 2009, was the founder and until December last year, managing director of Newport firm Convey Law.

Davies launched The Conveyancing Academy in 2014, offering courses under the auspices of the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

During the years of 2021/22, the academy had in total 129 students and a further 51 from Cardiff and Vale College enrolled on the two courses, and 122 on a separate level three conveyancing course.

However, on April 21, 2021, the academy was suspended from offering Scottish Qualifications Authority approved qualifications or advertising itself as an approved centre as the body was conducting an investigation into exam malpractice.

The investigation followed instances where a senior member of academy staff had given internal candidates exam papers in advance.

Following an investigation, and subsequent appeals the Scottish Qualifications Authority permanently removed TCA’s approval in March 2022.

But despite the suspension the academy continued to take on new students, by sending learners and employers communications which misleadingly creating the impression that courses that would lead to professions qualifications.

It was only when students and employers communicated directly with the Scottish Qualifications Authority that the they learned what had happened.

Mr Davies also failed to inform the Department of Education about the Scottish Qualifications Authority action, as he was required to under the apprenticeship’s provider agreement.

In mitigation, Davies said the suspension came out of the blue and telling students would have breached the confidentiality obligation to the Scottish Qualifications Authority he believed he was under.

He said he expected the suspension would be lifted “within a reasonable period of time” and so the least disruptive course was for students to progress their studies.

Once the investigation concluded, Davies said, he sought to find alternative solutions for students and has since repaid any funding received after the suspension took effect.

He also offered an unreserved apology to the students, their employers, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers and the profession generally, for the impact that he recognises these matters have had on them.

A Council for Licensed Conveyancers spokeswoman said Davies’s actions ‘damaged the education of many trainee licensed conveyancers who were working hard to achieve their ambitions to enter the legal profession’.

She added: “It brought into disrepute the reputation of the profession of which he was a member and harmed the efforts of so many to increase the numbers of qualified licensed conveyancers.

“It is always regrettable to have to take such action, but we are satisfied with the outcome and grateful to those who stepped forward to assist.”