Home > Samuel Phillips Law Firm and Hathaways The Law Firm – SRA Intervention

Samuel Phillips Law Firm and Hathaways The Law Firm – SRA Intervention

Wednesday 10th December 2025

On 10 December 2025 the Solicitors Regulation Authority (‘SRA’) closed:

  • Samuel Phillips Law firm of 18-24 Grey Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6AE
  • Hathaways The Law Firm of 18-19 Regent Terrace, Gateshead, NE8 1LU and 574-574A Durham Road, Low Fell, Gateshead, NE9 6HX and 325-327 Roundhay Road, Leeds, LS8 4HT (‘Samuel Phillips/Hathaways’)
  • The Leeds office traded as Miah Law.

This closure is called an intervention.

What does this mean?

If you were a client of Samuel Phillips/Hathaways, they can no longer act for you. You will need to find and instruct a new solicitor. Gordons are not acting for you. If you need help finding a new solicitor you can search here: Find a Solicitor, or call the Law Society on 020 7320 5650 Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 17:00.

It may help your new solicitor get up to speed by sending them any documents/correspondence you already have. If your legal work is in the early stages, your new solicitor may be able to make progress for you without your file from Samuel Phillips/Hathaways.

If Samuel Phillips/Hathaways were dealing with a property sale for you or they were in the early stages of a purchase, your new solicitor should be able to get copy documents from the buyer’s/seller’s lawyer or the estate agent, to progress the matter quickly.

If you need a legal aid lawyer, you can find one here: https://find-legal-advice.justice.gov.uk/. If you have a live legal aid certificate, we can only send your file to another legal aid lawyer.

How do I get my file?

You can email us at sph@gordonsllp.com or call us on 0113 227 0372 to check if we are holding your file and tell us where you would like us to send it.

If your legal matter is urgent (i.e. a mortgage offer is due to expire), please briefly explain the reasons for the urgency in your email and give us details of any pending key dates/deadlines. This will help us to prioritise help for those most in need.

If you want your file to be sent to you, please attach a copy of your ID (driving licence/passport). We don’t need to see your ID if you want us to send your file to a new solicitor.

If we need any more information from you before sending your file, we will let you know.

What about deeds/wills/Lasting Powers of Attorneys (LPAs)/other original documents held at Samuel Phillips/Hathaways?

These documents will be collected and held separately by the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s archives team. If you want to get hold of these documents, please contact them at iaf@sra.org.uk or 0204 525 0250.

What has happened to old/archived files?

All old/archived files held in storage by Samuel Phillips/Hathaways are being collected for indexing by the SRA. If you want to request old/archived files please contact them at iaf@sra.org.uk or 0204 525 0250.

Samuel Phillips/Hathaways were holding money for me. What should I do?

If you believe Samuel Phillips/Hathaways were holding money for you, you may be able to apply to the SRA Compensation Fund. As it is a discretionary fund, applications are considered using the criteria set out in the rules. You can find out more about the Compensation Fund here: SRA | Compensation fund | Solicitors Regulation Authority

I was an employee of Samuel Phillips/Hathaways. What can I do?

We understand this is a difficult time for you. Our role is however solely focused on the protection of clients and assisting them in whatever way we can.  We are not a representative of or successor practice to Samuel Phillips/Hathaways. We are therefore unable to deal with issues relating to your employment. We suggest you seek independent legal advice. The links below may also help:

https://www.acas.org.uk/

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/

https://www.lawcare.org.uk/

I was an employee of Samuel Phillips/Hathaways and I am continuing to act for my former clients at a new firm.

If you are continuing to act for your former clients at a new firm and took files with clients’ consent before the intervention, please email details of the firm you used to work for and details of the files (client name/matter description) to sph@gordonsllp.com. This will help us to effectively direct any enquiries we receive about those files.

If you need your clients’ files from us, please email us at sph@gordonsllp.com with your clients’ written consent to transfer their files to you.

I’m a trade creditor and haven’t been paid.

Neither we nor the SRA assume any liability or obligation for trade debts of the firm. This remains the responsibility of Sufe Miah as the remaining director at the time of the closure.

You should consider seeking independent legal advice if you are finding it difficult to get payment. You might also want to talk to your insurer to see if you are covered for the loss.

How can I get more information about the intervention into Samuel Phillips/Hathaways?

You can: