Liar: Dennis O'Riordan, above, was described as
'clever and charming' by colleagues, but he fabricated the glittering CV
which landed him jobs at a string of top firms
A top City lawyer has been
exposed as a fake after it was discovered that he lied on his CV that he
had been to Harvard and Oxford universities.
Dennis
O'Riordan, 51, said that he had attended the top institutions to get
jobs at a string of banks, barristers' chambers and solicitors' firms
during his five-year legal career.
He
was forced to quit his job as special consultant at Paul Hastings after
his lies were revealed as a result of a job application to an unnamed
barristers' chambers.
On his CV, he claimed he:
- Had a first class degree from Oxford and a doctorate in philosophy
- Had been made an Eldon Scholar
- Completed a masters degree at Harvard university
- Was a member of both the New York and Irish Bars
- Went to Radley College private school
- Said he had a first class degree from the University of East Anglia
In truth, he was educated at East Anglia but it is not believed that he had the top grade.
He was finally reported to the
professional body for barristers, the Bar Standards Board, who suspended
him from practice for three years.
The
board found O’Riordan guilty of 'conduct which was dishonest or
otherwise discreditable to a barrister' dating back to March 2007.
Exposing
his lies, it ruled: 'He did not attend Oxford University as an
undergraduate and was not awarded a BA or BCL or a D Phil or an Eldon
Scholarship by that university.
'He was not awarded a Master’s degree by the Faculty of Law of Harvard University.
Made up: The lawyer falsely claimed that he studied at Balliol College, Oxford, above, in order to impress empoyers
'Further, he is not, and has never been, a member of either the New York or Irish Bars.'
As a result of his creative CV, he was even listed in the Bar
Directory, the leading guide to barristers, with the a string of
falsified titles.
His entry read, 'Dr Dennis Thomas Delcaron O’Riordan LLB, Hons, BCL D Phil, Oxon, MA.'
The
false academic background helped him become a partner at two City law
firms, Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft and Paul Hastings.
O’Riordan was originally called to the Bar by Inner Temple in 1993.
The barrister then went on to become a senior in-house London lawyer for a number of overseas banks.
He
was group counsel for Nomura; general counsel for Sumitomo Finance; and
head of legal and tax for the Republic National Bank of New York. In
2005, he joined barristers’ chambers 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square.
He
moved to another chambers, Quadrant, before joining Cadwalader’s in
August 2008 to launch its financial regulatory group in London.
In
January 2009, he joined Paul Hastings and was a partner there until
last year, when he became a special consultant at its London office.
Fabrication: His made-up CV also featured an master's qualification from Ivy League American university Harvard, above
Also known as Tom, he also
claimed on professional profiles to be a visiting lecturer at Oxford
University although it is unknown whether this was a fabrication.
Within 24 hours of his suspension, O’Riordan's profile removed Paul Hastings' their website.
O'RIORDAN'S LIST OF LIES:
- Attended Radley College
- Gained degree LLB (Hons) (First class) from the University of East Anglia
- Bachelor of Arts (First Class) Balliol College, Oxford University
- Bachelor of Civic Laws (First class) Balliol College, Oxford University
- Doctor of Philosophy, Balliol College, Oxford University
- Eldon Scholar
- Master's degree, Faculty of Law, Harvard University
- Member of the New York Bar
- Member of the Irish Bar
Reacting to the news, lawyers who had worked with O’Riordan began swapping stories on an industry website called RollOnFriday.
One wrote: 'Worked for him a few years ago - clever, charming and "creative" lawyer but not suited to management.
'Had Gordon Brown-style eruptions when challenged - now at least we know why. Had plenty to hide.'
Some speculated that he did study law at the University of East Anglia - without obtaining a first class degree.
A Paul Hastings spokesperson would not comment on the firm’s recruitment procedures.
He
said: 'We learned that a consultant to the London office, Tom
O’Riordan, has, in the past, exaggerated his academic qualifications.
'Mr
O’Riordan is a barrister and his professional body, the Bar Standards
Board, has successfully brought disciplinary proceedings against him.
'Mr O’Riordan left the firm with immediate effect.'
dailymail.co.uk
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