Due diligence on new solicitor Jessica Kephart — 2026-09-09

Two Brandon messages in the 1:1. The morning one ("Lemme get a freshie") has no recoverable context. The afternoon one is a compliance assignment with a two-week window.

Summary

• Brandon asked JT to run due diligence on Jessica Kephart, described as a new solicitor already "active on accounts" who has completed the solicitor and payroll paperwork.
• Scope as he framed it: "ensure she wasn't previously licensed, etc." — a background check for prior registration history and anything that would create an issue with her acting as a solicitor.
• Deliverable: a compliance submission, saved to the Active Solicitors folder under her name in the Compliance folder on Box.
• Timing: "in the next week or two." JT acknowledged with a thumbs-up; no written reply.
• Jessica Kephart is not a tracked person and her role beyond "solicitor" is not on file.

Decisions

• Brandon Drespling: Jessica Kephart is onboarded as a solicitor; compliance review follows rather than precedes her activity.

They asked me for

• Brandon Drespling: solicitor due diligence on Jessica Kephart, written up as a compliance submission and filed to her Active Solicitors folder. Target: within two weeks, so by 2026-09-23.

I asked them for

• Nothing raised.

Concerns and frustrations raised

• Nothing raised.

What they are focused on

• Brandon Drespling: closing the compliance file on a solicitor who is already working.

Doable / not doable / needs a decision

• Due diligence and submission → doable; the CRD/IAPD check, state registration check, and disciplinary search are routine. The order (active first, review second) is his call as CCO and is worth noting in the submission.

Action items

Mine

• Jessica Kephart solicitor due diligence: prior-registration check, disciplinary history, solicitor-agreement and disclosure-document check; write the compliance submission and save it to the Active Solicitors folder — target 2026-09-23 — (Notion: not pushed)

Theirs

• Nothing pending on Brandon.

Suggestions for me

• Confirm the solicitor agreement and the required solicitor disclosure are in her folder before writing the submission; the ask names "solicitor and payroll paperwork," which may or may not include the disclosure.

Notable quotes

"Jessica Kephart is a new solicitor and is active on accounts. She completed the solicitor and payroll paperwork. Could you please do some due diligence to ensure there's no issues with Jessica." — Brandon Drespling