Mark Small’s actions sparked outrage this summer
A solicitor has been rebuked by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) for a series of social media posts, one of which boasted of a “great win” over the parents of a vulnerable child.
Mark Small — the director of public sector law firm Baker Small — made Legal Cheek headlines back in June after posting six ill-judged tweets that sparked outrage across the legal profession.
Using the Milton Keynes-based firm’s official Twitter account, Small trumpeted his latest legal victory, appearing to relish in the fact he had created a “storm” for the parents of a vulnerable child.
Initially standing by the posts, Small — again using the firm’s account — began posting images which appeared to mock those who had taken issue with his actions. The six offending tweets and accompanying Twitter account have since been deleted.
Diane Kay — who has an 11-year-old son with special educational needs (SEN) — wasted no time in reporting Small’s actions to the SRA. Publishing her letter of complaint online, Kay branded the tweets “inappropriate” and claimed they “showed a lack of sincerity to parents”.
Five months on and the SRA has today confirmed that disciplinary action has been taken against Small. Handing the solicitor a rebuke (a formal reprimand) for his social media outburst, the regulatory decision reveals that Small accepted “the content of the tweets was unprofessional and offensive”.
In mitigation the SRA noted that Small had published a written apology within 24 hours and subsequently made a donation to charity. The solicitor — who has kept a low profile on social media since the incident — was also ordered to pay costs of £600.
Legal Cheek reported earlier this summer that the solicitor’s social media rant had resulted in a number of lucrative clients parting ways with Baker Small. Within 48 hours of the tweets being published, both Norfolk County Council and Cambridge County Council ditched the firm.