A partner at Dundas & Wilson has been struck off after plagiarising a tender document from his own girlfriend.
In 2012 Keith Armstrong was a partner at the firm, which subsequently merged with CMS Cameron McKenna. His live-in partner, referred to in the judgment only as Ms B, was a business development manager for a competitor firm. Both firms were pitching for a chunky piece of work from five local councils.
When Renfrewshire, one of the councils, received the two tender documents it noticed some remarkable similarities. Both firms were contacted and partners at Ms B's firm was hauled in for a two hour meeting which was described as a "difficult experience". An investigation quickly revealed that Armstrong had got hold of his girlfriend's documents "without her knowledge or consent" and had done a cut and paste job.
Armstrong immediately confessed and resigned from D&W. This week, after much deliberation, a tribunal decided that the offence was sufficiently serious that it had no choice but to strike him off, despite acknowledging "the catastrophic effect this one major error of judgement will have had on the Respondent’s life".
This all happened before Dundas merged with CMS, whose spokeswoman said she didn't "wish to offer comment". Which is also what Dundas said during its intitial investigation. Uh-oh.
Tip Off ROF
In 2012 Keith Armstrong was a partner at the firm, which subsequently merged with CMS Cameron McKenna. His live-in partner, referred to in the judgment only as Ms B, was a business development manager for a competitor firm. Both firms were pitching for a chunky piece of work from five local councils.
When Renfrewshire, one of the councils, received the two tender documents it noticed some remarkable similarities. Both firms were contacted and partners at Ms B's firm was hauled in for a two hour meeting which was described as a "difficult experience". An investigation quickly revealed that Armstrong had got hold of his girlfriend's documents "without her knowledge or consent" and had done a cut and paste job.
Armstrong yesterday |
Armstrong immediately confessed and resigned from D&W. This week, after much deliberation, a tribunal decided that the offence was sufficiently serious that it had no choice but to strike him off, despite acknowledging "the catastrophic effect this one major error of judgement will have had on the Respondent’s life".
This all happened before Dundas merged with CMS, whose spokeswoman said she didn't "wish to offer comment". Which is also what Dundas said during its intitial investigation. Uh-oh.
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