Alerts

Warning: Correspondence, telephone calls and website claiming to be 'The Franco-British Lawyers Society' and misusing details of a genuine law firm

9 September 2025

Correspondence, telephone calls and a website is operating and claiming to be 'The Franco-British Lawyers Society' and purportedly offering legal services for various compensation claims.

What is the scam?

The SRA has been advised that a member of the public has been contacted by telephone and in writing by an individual purporting to be from 'The Franco-British Lawyers Society' offering legal services in connection with a claim relating to spray foam insulation removal. Following the initial unsolicited telephone call, the recipient received correspondence setting out details and a contract for legal services to proceed with a claim for compensation.

The correspondence seen by the SRA was purportedly sent by 'Irene Claude Louise Etiennette Arnaudeau'. The correspondence provides an address of 184 Hammersmith Road, London W6 9DJ and a Companies House number 02424363. These details belong to a charitable organisation (see below). It is believed that the charitable organisation's details are being misused.

The correspondence also contained the telephone number of '02080400581' which the SRA understands belongs to a finance company. It is believed that this company's details are also being misused.

The website https://thefrancobritishlawyerssociety.com is operating and falsely claiming to be a law firm, referring to its members as 'solicitors'. The website provides an email address of 'info@thefrancobritishlawyerssociety.com', and a telephone number of '02080403180'.

The 'Services' section of the website leads to a page detailing the services provided by a company called 'Compensation Pursuit' which it falsely claims is the trading name of a genuine firm of solicitors (see below for genuine firm details). The services purportedly relate to various compensation recovery claims including fraud and crypto, renewable energy claims, life and critical illness claims and spray foam insulation claims. The layout and content of the webpage appears to copy that of the website for the genuine firm of solicitors. It also misuses the genuine firm's SRA number and company registration number.

The SRA does not authorise or regulate 'The Franco-British Lawyers Society', or 'Compensation Pursuit'.

Any business or transaction through 'The Franco-British Lawyers Society', 'Compensation Pursuit', 'Irene Claude Louise Etiennette Arnaudeau', and the email addresses, websites, postal addresses and contact numbers referred to in the above alert is not undertaken by a firm or solicitor authorised and regulated by the SRA.

Is there a genuine firm or person?

The SRA authorises and regulates a genuine firm of solicitors called Cheshire Estate and Legal Limited t/a CEL Solicitors with the SRA number 633955. Its postal address is 20 Chapel Street, Liverpool L3 9AG. Its telephone number is 0808 273 0900.

The genuine firm of Cheshire Estate and Legal Limited has confirmed that it has no connections to 'The Franco-British Lawyers Society' or 'Compensation Pursuit' or any of the matters referred to in the above alert.

The charitable organisation referred to in the alert above is L'Association des Juristes Franco-Britanniques/The Franco-British Lawyers Society Limited. Companies House records also show that an 'Irene Claude Louise Etiennette Arnaudeau' is a member of this charitable organisation. It is not believed that L'Association des Juristes Franco-Britanniques or its member Irene Claude Louise Etiennette Arnaudeau has any connection to the matters referred to in the above alert.

What should I do?

When a firm's or individual's identity has been copied exactly (or cloned), due diligence is necessary. If you receive correspondence claiming to be from the above firm(s) or individual(s), or information of a similar nature to that described, you should conduct your own due diligence by checking the authenticity of the correspondence by contacting the law firm directly by reliable and established means. You can contact the SRA to find out if individuals or firms are regulated and authorised by the SRA and verify an individual's or firm's practising details. Other verification methods, such as checking public records (e.g. telephone directories and company records) may be required in other circumstances.