Ex-Slaughters lawyer has practice restrictions lifted after cocaine cautions

A former Slaughter and May associate who twice received police cautions for cocaine possession has had the restrictions on his right to practise lifted by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.

Matthew Podger qualified in 2013 and received his first caution in April 2014 while at Slaughters, according to the tribunal. He immediately reported it to the firm and the SRA, which issued a letter of advice but took no further action. When he later moved to Cleary in 2017, he disclosed the caution upfront.

The trouble came in March 2018 when Podger accepted a second caution for cocaine possession - this time choosing not to tell Cleary or the SRA. He told the tribunal he was scared of losing both his job and his marriage. Cleary found out anyway through an anonymous tip-off, suspended him, and Podger reported himself to the regulator.

The SDT ultimately imposed a one-year suspension and a set of conditions on his return, including limits on the roles he could hold and an obligation to disclose those conditions to future employers.

Conditions lifted

In a decision published earlier this week, the SDT agreed those restrictions were no longer needed.

The tribunal said it was "impressed" by Podger’s genuine remorse, found him a credible witness, and noted he had reflected on his past conduct. His personal circumstances had "changed significantly", particularly around his family life.

Podger is now a senior associate at HCR Law in London. The tribunal said he had passed every quarterly drug test and completed occupational health assessments in 2023 and 2025, "confirming his fitness to practise, openness, and integrity."

A wider reminder

The case is the latest reminder that solicitors can face regulatory consequences for conduct outside the office.

It comes just days after news that an Ashurst associate has been referred to the SDT over an allegedly false insurance claim for a stolen bicycle - another example of how the SRA treats honesty-related conduct as a serious regulatory risk, even when it has nothing to do with client work.