Lawyers Allegedly Behaving Badly

[FJAG]

Too light.

Lie about witnessing signatures? Delete messages in an app to hide your malfeasance?

In British Columbia that gets you one whole month of suspension from the profession. To his credit, though, he self-reported.

Vancouver lawyer suspended for submitting false documents in support of client’s $3.3M loan application

A Vancouver lawyer has admitted to improperly notarizing documents and solemnly declaring affidavits that contained information he knew was false in order to help a corporate client secure a $3.3-million loan from a U.S. bank.

www.ctvnews.ca

https://www.lawsociety.bc.ca/lsbc/apps/hearings/viewreport.cfm?hearing_id=1623

I don't think that this was a case of trying to defraud anyone but one to expedite a client's legitimate business activity in a time frame where the proper processes were difficult to follow. Notarization essentially involves confirming the persons identity, watching them sign, ensuring they understand the contents of the document and signing voluntarily and then attesting to the validity of the signature. That said, the lender had already agreed to video confirmation of signatures to sworn statements (which is permitted in some jurisdictions) and I see no reason why those agreed to processes couldn't have been followed in the circumstances. The lender could have been put at risk by these actions.

This was a case where the lawyer reported himself to the law society and where he agreed to "plead guilty" to the charges. The disposition was a consent one. He appears to have no other disciplinary record. The Canadian criminal courts take consent agreements into consideration every day. Hardly any criminals report themselves albeit some confess and show remorse quickly - which again is a factor in mitigating sentencing.

I don't find the case disposition unusual albeit that, IMHO, a much longer period of suspension ought to have been called for.

 

[dapaterson]

The cynic in me wonders if this will act as free advertising for him, for other clients equally desirous of a lack of oversight...

 

[FJAG]

The cynic in me wonders if this will act as free advertising for him, for other clients equally desirous of a lack of oversight...

Sadly I take the location and nationalities into consideration. Saying "no" to a $3.3 mil deal (and any the past or potential future client relationships) into consideration one needs to wonder. I recall some pretty blatant immigration cases where the notoriety appeared to do exactly what you suggest.

Lawyers get a lot of referrals by word of mouth and relationships. I once had a referral from a trust company to give independent legal advice to a client who was about to sign a will appointing the trust company as her executors and trustees. After counselling her that her estate was very simple and she didn't need a trust company (she didn't sign) I, as I expected, stopped getting referral from that company.

Unfortunately its all too easy to go along to get along and "bending the rules" to simplify things for a client is usually a slippery slope. In complaints investigation we found quite a few such cases. They usually occurred in lawyers who were generally competent with about ten years of practice under their belts. They were usually reported by lawyers for the other side who became aware of things that were off the rails.

 

[brihard]

Huh. I would not have shortlisted “a lawyer for the City of Ottawa” while trying to guess “who spray painted ‘FEED ME’ on the Holocaust memorial?”

LSO shows him as ‘suspended administratively’. I suspect there’s more to this story.

Man accused in Holocaust Memorial vandalism is City of Ottawa lawyer on leave

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said he asked city officials to "take all appropriate action in light of these developments."

ottawacitizen.com

Non-paywall version

https://archive.is/6ok57

 

[dapaterson]

Huh. I would not have shortlisted “a lawyer for the City of Ottawa” while trying to guess “who spray painted ‘FEED ME’ on the Holocaust memorial?”

LSO shows him as ‘suspended administratively’. I suspect there’s more to this story.

Man accused in Holocaust Memorial vandalism is City of Ottawa lawyer on leave

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said he asked city officials to "take all appropriate action in light of these developments."

ottawacitizen.com

Non-paywall version

https://archive.is/6ok57

Look, it can't always be OPS.

 

[brihard]

He got held for a bail hearing so now I’m bloody sure there’s more to the story.

 

[daftandbarmy]

A weak lager drinker? Send him to jail

A video of senior advocate Bhaskar Tanna sipping from a beer mug during a virtual Gujarat High Court hearing has gone viral. The court has initiated suo motu contempt proceedings, calling his act “outrageous and glaring,” and recommended revoking his senior counsel status.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

 

[dapaterson]

If you're a crown on a major drug case, it's probably best not to become fuck buddies with one of the defence lawyers for a few months and not disclose it...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/drug-case-montreal-conflict-of-interest-1.7598591

 

[dapaterson]

If you're a crown on a major drug case, it's probably best not to become fuck buddies with one of the defence lawyers for a few months and not disclose it...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/drug-case-montreal-conflict-of-interest-1.7598591

With bonus drunk driving!

 

[Blackadder1916]

If you're a crown on a major drug case, it's probably best not to become fuck buddies with one of the defence lawyers for a few months and not disclose it...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/drug-case-montreal-conflict-of-interest-1.7598591

But did the defence lawyer bill his client for the time he was in the crown's briefs?

 

[Navy_Pete]

A weak lager drinker? Send him to jail

A video of senior advocate Bhaskar Tanna sipping from a beer mug during a virtual Gujarat High Court hearing has gone viral. The court has initiated suo motu contempt proceedings, calling his act “outrageous and glaring,” and recommended revoking his senior counsel status.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

That's a rookie move; a 16 oz opaque coffee mug does the same thing, and if you have something that's double walled also keeps the beer cooler.

 

[dapaterson]

But did the defence lawyer bill his client for the time he was in the crown's briefs?

Typical lawyer, bills six minutes for a task that took less than a minute.

 

[Blackadder1916]

Unless he was doing it "pro boner".

 

[GR66]

Unless he was doing it "pro boner".

 

[dapaterson]

What if a judge read out the wrong sentence, and didn't correct it for a year?

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/justice-andrew-goodman-reprimanded-peter-khill-wrong-sentence-1.7598460

https://cjc-ccm.ca/sites/default/files/documents/2025/24-0799%20and%2024-0818_Decision%20of%20the%20Review%20Panel%20Goodman_website%20EN.pdf

 

[OldSolduer]

What if a judge read out the wrong sentence, and didn't correct it for a year?

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/justice-andrew-goodman-reprimanded-peter-khill-wrong-sentence-1.7598460

https://cjc-ccm.ca/sites/default/files/documents/2025/24-0799%20and%2024-0818_Decision%20of%20the%20Review%20Panel%20Goodman_website%20EN.pdf

"The Canadian Judicial Council's three-person review panel condemned Goodman's "inaction," calling it "a serious ethical lapse and a failure," in a decision released Wednesday. "

How about real consequence? Like not being a judge anymore?

 

[dapaterson]

The phrase "appearance of a conflict of interest" immediately comes to mind. If you are a noted employment lawyer who worked for employers, who spent years working for and on behalf of a company, you probably should recuse yourself from an administrative tribunal asked to rule on a key issue impacting your former employer / client.

https://bsky.app/profile/cupescfp.bsky.social%2Fpost%2F3lwkmqbsrcc2c

https://ca.linkedin.com/in/maryse-tremblay-27437823

 

[brihard]

The phrase "appearance of a conflict of interest" immediately comes to mind. If you are a noted employment lawyer who worked for employers, who spent years working for and on behalf of a company, you probably should recuse yourself from an administrative tribunal asked to rule on a key issue impacting your former employer / client.

https://bsky.app/profile/cupescfp.bsky.social%2Fpost%2F3lwkmqbsrcc2c

https://ca.linkedin.com/in/maryse-tremblay-27437823

Maybe somewhat mitigated by the fact that it appears she last worked for them 21 years ago.

As the chair of the board, she won't herself be likely to be ruling on this matter. Looking at a couple of their decisions on CanLII, they assemble a panel of one or more members from here: https://cirb-ccri.gc.ca/en/about-us/members

I think CUPE might be framing this a tad disingenuously.

 

[dapaterson]

Maybe somewhat mitigated by the fact that it appears she last worked for them 21 years ago.

As the chair of the board, she won't herself be likely to be ruling on this matter. Looking at a couple of their decisions on CanLII, they assemble a panel of one or more members from here: https://cirb-ccri.gc.ca/en/about-us/members

I think CUPE might be framing this a tad disingenuously.

As a partner with BLG or Hennan Blaikie, did she ever represent Air Canada? As former in-house counsel, does she hold any equity in Air Canada, as part of her compensation?

And my understanding is that, particularly in short fuse, high profile issues, senior members of admin tribunals may themselves be part of the panel.

 

[brihard]

As a partner with BLG or Hennan Blaikie, did she ever represent Air Canada? As former in-house counsel, does she hold any equity in Air Canada, as part of her compensation?

And my understanding is that, particularly in short fuse, high profile issues, senior members of admin tribunals may themselves be part of the panel.

All of those possibilities though are very different from what CUPE is saying.

The CIRB has several full time vice chairs who appear to be parts of some panels. I'm sure she'll be live to the perceived conflict and can steer clear of it. I don't think it's realistic to think that a tribunal dealing with industrial relations and necessarily populated with experienced industrial relations counsel or representatives will be able to entirely avoid overlaps like this. Similarly I'm sure to avoid a similar conflict, they won't appoint Paul Moist from their roster to be the Employee Representative member for this particular one given his 12 years as president of CUPE.