Osborne Clarke partner Ashley Hurst has been ordered to pay a £50,000 fine plus £260,000 in costs by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal for his conduct in some Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) correspondence.

Hurst had been corresponding with Dan Neidle, a former Clifford Chance tax partner, about Nadhim Zahawi’s tax affairs. The Solicitors Regulation Authority alleged that the respondent sent written correspondence that improperly attempted to restrict Neidle’s right to publish and/or discuss specific matters regarding the Former Chancellor of the Exchequer's tax affairs and legal repercussions that may follow if he did.