Ridita
Rahman
Employee
7815683
Decision - Employee-related decision
Outcome: Control of non-qualified staff (Section 43 / Section 99 order)
Outcome date: 8 June 2026
Published date: 16 July 2026
Firm details
Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome
Name: Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
Address(es): 28 Tudor Street, London, EC4Y 0AY.
Firm ID: 264277
Outcome details
This outcome was reached by SRA decision.
Decision details
An order pursuant to section 43(2) of the Solicitors Act 1974 was made as Ms Rahman's conduct meant that it was undesirable for her to be involved in legal practice without the SRA's prior approval.
This was because of the serious nature of her conduct which was dishonest.
Ms Rahman was also ordered to pay the SRA's costs of £600.
What our Section 43 order means:
- no solicitor shall employ or remunerate her in connection with his/her practice as a solicitor;
- no employee of a solicitor shall employ or remunerate her in connection with the solicitor's practice;
- no recognised body shall employ or remunerate her:
- no manager or employee of a recognised body shall employ or remunerate her in connection with the business of that body;
- no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit her to be a manager of the body; and
- no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit her to have an interest in the body.
except in accordance with the SRA's prior written permission.
Reasons/basis
Ridita Rahman, a person who is or was involved in a legal practice but is not a Solicitor, who was employed as an AML Compliance Analyst at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP (the firm), a recognised body located at 28 Tudor Street, London, EC4Y 0AY.
Summary of decision
The SRA has put restrictions on where and how Ms Rahman can work in an SRA regulated firm. It was found that Ms Rahman:
On 5 December 2024 sent misleading correspondence to a third party individual (AA) because: a) Ms Rahman sent a letter using Debevoise & Plimpton LLP headed paper which concerned a private issue relating to a landlord and tenant matter involving her partner and AA. b) The letter described Ridita Rahman as an Associate of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP which was inaccurate. c) Ms Rahman used her work email account to correspond with AA.
On 17 December 2024 used her work email account to send AA a Notice pursuant to Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988 which was misleading because it suggested that Debevoise & Plimpton LLP was acting on behalf of her partner in a contentious landlord and tenant matter.
In doing so, Ms Rahman acted dishonestly.
The facts of the case
Ms Rahman was employed by the firm from 1 July 2024 until 17 December 2024.
On 2 May 2025, the firm was made aware that Ms Rahman had used its letterhead, as well as her firm email account, to correspond with a third party individual about a private residential tenancy dispute.
In that correspondence, dated 5 and 17 December 2024, Ms Rahman had described herself as an ‘Associate’. She also claimed that the firm was acting on behalf of her partner, who was the landlord in the dispute. Her partner was not and had never been a client of the firm.