City lawyer rebuked by SRA over undisclosed drink-driving conviction

An experienced City lawyer has been rebuked by the SRA for not reporting a drink-driving offence for almost three years.

The regulator issued Tejinder Mahil with the sanction after he failed to report his conviction for a drunk driving incident in March 2022, when he crashed into a parked vehicle while driving at 3.5 times the legal alcohol limit.

He pleaded guilty at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court in September that year, and was given a 36-month driving ban, 200 hours of community service, as well as £400 in fines and costs.

Mahil, who spent 10 years as a partner at Gunnercooke, failed to report his conviction to the SRA promptly as required. 

When he did so nearly three years later, he said he believed the offence didn’t need to be reported as it didn’t involve dishonesty or a custodial sentence. 

He explained it was a genuine misunderstanding of his obligations as a solicitor but acknowledged that he should have been aware.

Conduct breaches 

The regulator issued Mahil a written rebuke on 18 May, and he was ordered to pay £300 in investigation costs. 

The SRA concluded that he had breached his regulatory obligations as a solicitor in two places - a conclusion Mahil accepted.

City career

Mahil’s career spans several top City firms, including time as a partner at Winston & Strawn and DLA Piper, with earlier stints at Latham and Clifford Chance, according to his LinkedIn profile.