Lawyer found to have engaged in professional misconduct for failing to serve clients and falsifying documents.
The Law Society of Ontario brought a professional misconduct application against the respondent lawyer regarding his representation of three immigration clients.
The Tribunal found that the respondent failed to serve his clients to the standard of a competent lawyer, deposited trust funds into his general account before they were earned, falsified a client's signature on an application, and misled both clients and successor counsel.
The Tribunal rejected the respondent's explanations, finding his credibility significantly impeached by his admitted falsification of documents.
All allegations of professional misconduct were established, and a penalty hearing was directed to be scheduled.
