SRA bars paralegal Nishaat Shamas Saeed from legal profession for forging signatures

• Nishaat Shamas Saeed, an immigration paralegal, was barred from the solicitors' profession by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) for forging client signatures and falsifying documents.
• The misconduct occurred while Saeed worked at Elaahi Co, where she had completed her LPC and held the position of senior paralegal since September 2023.
• Saeed was ordered to pay the SRA's costs of £600 and is barred from working in the profession without prior approval.

The client was unaware of and was not involved in Ms Saeed's dishonest conduct but despite this it had a significant detrimental impact on the clients immigration application.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has taken disciplinary action against Nishaat Shamas Saeed, an immigration paralegal who was found to have acted dishonestly and caused significant harm to a client. The misconduct occurred while Saeed worked at Elaahi Co, where she had completed her LPC and held the position of senior paralegal since September 2023. Her actions came to light in February 2025, months before she was due to start a training contract with the firm. An investigation revealed that Saeed had forged client signatures on four forms, attempted to conceal this mistake by falsifying an English language certificate, and fabricated an email containing declaration forms. She also tampered with screenshots of images from her work laptop to mislead the firm into believing that the client had been sent the forms.

When presented with evidence gathered during the investigation, Saeed admitted to acting dishonestly. The SRA found that her conduct was serious in nature and had a significant detrimental impact on the client's immigration application. As a result, the SRA made an order barring her from working in the profession without prior approval. Additionally, Saeed was ordered to pay the SRA's costs of £600. This disciplinary action serves as a reminder of the importance of integrity and honesty in the legal profession.

Law firms should be vigilant in monitoring employee conduct, particularly in high-pressure areas like immigration law, to prevent similar incidents and protect clients' interests. The consequences of misconduct can be severe, as seen in Saeed's case. Firms must ensure that their employees are held accountable for their actions and take prompt action when misconduct is discovered. This not only maintains the integrity of the profession but also safeguards the rights and interests of clients.

Law firms should be vigilant in monitoring employee conduct, particularly in high-pressure areas like immigration law, to prevent similar incidents and protect clients' interests.

Source: Original reporting via Briefly