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1392 items matching your search terms

  1. LCRO 2/2018 MC v TL (17 June 2020) [PDF, 304 KB]

    Complaint / Committee declined to take further action on complaint / paternity and custody proceedings / complaint lawyer did not act competently, accept instructions, or act in a timely manner / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 3 / rule 3.4 / rule 3.5 / rule 4 / rule 4.1 / rule 4.1.3 / HELD / no rule requiring either client or lawyer to sign terms of engagement / no evidence lawyer did not act competently / time taken to advance matters does not call for disciplinary response / lawyer could have advised client that separate proceedings to recover costs would not be required / Committee’s decision confirmed / section 211(1)(a)
  2. LCRO 84/2020 WF v BP (11 June 2020) [PDF, 159 KB]

    Jurisdiction / Committee found unsatisfactory conduct / whether application lodged out of time / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006, section 198 / Epidemic Preparedness Act 2006, schedule 2 / D v T LCRO 36/2009 (27 March 2009) / LCRO 190/2017 (6 November 2017) / KX v WA LCRO 84/2012 (30 April 2012) / 30 working day time limit / discretion to extend time limit / whether LCRO a tribunal / HELD / no reason to extend time limit / application for review lodged out of time / LCRO has no jurisdiction to consider application
  5. LCRO 196/2019 FL v ND (8 June 2020) [PDF, 123 KB]

    Complaint / Committee declined to take further action on complaint / unsuccessful private prosecution regarding breach of suppression order / complaint lawyer breached suppression order and misled the court / HELD / not role of Standards Committee to construct complaint against lawyer / Standards Committee not the appropriate forum to determine whether lawyer breached suppression order / issue cannot be relitigated through complaints process / Committee’s decision confirmed / section 211(1)(a)
  7. LCRO 22/2019 HT v MK (29 May 2020) [PDF, 326 KB]

    Review / Committee declined to take further action on complaint / sale of a business and shares / complaint lawyer made errors in share sale agreement, failed to make inquiries and disclose information, and went on leave causing delay / fee complaint / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 1.2 / rule 1.6 / rule 3 / rule 7 / rule 7.1 / rule 9 / rule 9.1 / rule 10 / Hunstanton v Cambourne and Chester LCRO 167/2009 (February 2010) / HELD / allegations of negligence must be tested in civil courts / share sale agreements ultimately used were in draft form, still subject to revision / lawyer advised client they would be on leave / delays not untimely / lawyer not culpable for not taking steps after instructions withdrawn / Committee did not analyse fee complaint adequately / Committee’s decision to take no further action on fee complaint reversed / fee complaint referred back to Committee / section 209(1)(a) / Committee’s decision otherwise confirme…
  8. LCRO 79/2019 PS v NR (28 May 2020) [PDF, 193 KB]

    Complaint / Committee declined to take further action on complaint / Family Court proceedings / complaint lawyer instructed self-represented litigant to communicate directly with their client in breach of protection order / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 12 / rule 12.1 / Burgess v Tait [2014] NZHC 2408 / Chapman v Legal Complaints Review Officer [2015] NZHC 1500 / HELD / lawyer volunteered to pass on emails to the client in court, then withdrew that offer later / either insincere, or discourteous and unprofessional to cease forwarding emails and advise to deal with lawyer’s client directly, without prior discussion with complainant and notification to the court / as complainant unrepresented, should have informed her of her right to take legal advice / by finest margin, no adverse finding made / Committee’s decision confirmed / section 211(1)(a)
  12. LCRO 2/2019 RCN and OCN as Trustees v MA, JS, LB and GD (27 May 2020) [PDF, 189 KB]

    Complaint / Committee declined to take further action on complaint / advice to trustees and construction contract dispute / complaint lawyers did not act competently or protect the trust’s interests, did not complete matters in a timely way, and improperly terminated retainer / Construction Contracts Act 2002 / HELD / basis of complaint and disciplinary process is to maintain professional standards, not loss recovery / client requested lawyers establish a trust, and lawyers provided competent advice on the trust / lawyers were only consulted intermittently throughout development project, and without enough time to issue a payment schedule / litigation strategy pursued to establish a basis for settlement / trust partially succeeded in construction contract dispute / lawyers did not lack competence or diligence / lawyer terminated retainer appropriately due to conflict of interest between trustee company and other trustees / Committee’s decision confirmed / section 211(1)(a)
  13. LCRO 144/2018 BG v NH (26 May 2020) [PDF, 140 KB]

    Complaint / Committee found unsatisfactory conduct / criminal and immigration matters / complaint barrister accepted direct instructions / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 14.4 / HELD / lawyer received fees in advance / accepted direct instructions / consent is no answer to taking direct instructions / penalty / $500 fine ordered on review / Committee’s decision modified to reflect fine / Committee’s decision otherwise confirmed / section 211(1)(a)
  18. LCRO 34/2018 GR v [Area] Standards Committee [X] [PDF, 199 KB]

    Complaint / Committee found unsatisfactory conduct / registration of easements, lodging caveat / complaint lawyer registered and certified instruments without Authority and Instruction consent / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 2.5 / Property Transactions and E-Dealing Practice Guidelines / Land Transfer Act 1952, section 164A / HELD / breach of rule 2.5 / lawyer certified they had authority to register instruments without such authority / penalty / censure, fine of $6000, direction to provide decision to Registrar-General of Land, costs confirmed / Committee’s decision confirmed / section 211(1)(a)
  19. LCRO 46/2016 Richard Zhao v Yu Sun and Li Wang (7 May 2020) [PDF, 133 KB]

    Complaint / Committee found unsatisfactory conduct / lodging a caveat / complaint lawyer did not pass on Notice for Lapse of Caveat to client / review stayed pending civil proceedings / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 3 / rule 6 / HELD / breach of rule 3 and rule 6 / lawyer’s firm listed as address for service on caveat / assumed and failed to discharge duty to clients to advise them of notices in relation to caveat / Committee’s findings that lawyer concealed fact that caveat had lapsed, not supported by evidence / compensation / client lost choice to take advice on acting to sustain caveat or allowing it to lapse / $1,000 compensation / penalty / fine reduced from $5,000 to $4,000 as no finding lawyer concealed error, costs order confirmed / Committee’s decision partially reversed, partially modified / section 211(1)(a)
  20. LCRO 162/2019 SD, JK and DZ v RE (5 May 2020) [PDF, 92 KB]

    Complaint / Committee declined to take further action on complaint / fee recovery proceedings / complaint lawyer appeared as counsel in proceedings in which the lawyer was giving evidence and their conduct was in issue, and committed perjury / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 13.5.3 / HELD / lawyer sought leave to appear which was granted by court / evidential conflict supporting perjury complaint for District Court to resolve / no right of appeal to LCRO on perjury allegation / complaint discloses no reasonable cause of action / application for review struck out / section 205(1)(a)
  21. LCRO 180/2018 & 186/2018 KM on behalf of XYZ Trust v DF (5 May 2020) [PDF, 159 KB]

    Review / Committee found unsatisfactory conduct / civil proceedings / complaint lawyer was incompetent as to ensuring full discovery from defendant, and lied to the court when seeking to be removed as counsel of record / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Complaints Service and Standards Committees) Regulations 2008, regulation 29 / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 3 / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006, section 12(a) / HELD / failure to take steps to require discovery better characterised as a lack of diligence in terms of section 12(a), than a lack of competence in terms of rule 3 / lawyer entitled to put their view to the court regarding withdrawing as counsel of record / penalty / fine of $2000, costs confirmed / no costs order for review / Committee’s decision modified to reflect lack of diligence rather than lack of competence / Committee’s decision otherwise confirmed / section 211(1)(a)
  22. LCRO 175/2018 QA v SZ (1 May 2020) [PDF, 117 KB]

    Complaint / Committee declined to take further action on complaint / advice to trustees / complaint lawyer did not provide taxation advice on transaction / HELD / terms of engagement excluded tax advice / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008 only require lawyers to advise unrepresented persons to seek independent legal advice / allegations of negligence must be tested in civil courts / no evidence of professional standards issue / Committee’s decision confirmed / section 211(1)(a)
  23. LCRO 104/2019 RY v DN (1 May 2020) [PDF, 273 KB]

    Complaint / Committee declined to take further action on complaint / property transaction / complaint lawyer acted for more than one party, did not sufficiently explain retainer, and acted against a former client / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 1.2 / rule 6 / rule 6.1 / rule 6.1.1 / rule 6.1.2 / rule 6.1.3 / rule 8.7 / rule 8.8 / Torchlight Fund No 1 LP (in rec) v NZ Credit Fund (GP) 1 Ltd [2014] NZHC 2552 / Russell McVeagh McKenzie Bartlett & Co v Tower Corp [1998] 3 NZLR 641 (CA) / Mike Pero Mortgages Ltd v Pero [2014] NZHC 2798 / HELD / identity of client(s) / lawyer’s client was a partnership the clients had formed, not the individual members of the partnership / range of factors to be considered when acting against former clients in commercial transactions, per Russel McVeagh McKenzie Bartlett & Co v Tower Corp / alleged confidences breached were not particularised / no breach of rule 8.7.1 / Committee’s decision confirmed / secti…
  24. LCRO 100/2019 & 168/2019 Company A Limited v WC and VB (30 April 2020) [PDF, 143 KB]

    Complaint / Committee declined to take further action on complaint / fee complaint / complaint fees were excessive, unfair and unreasonable, and that time was not accurately recorded / also, lawyers did not provide information about fees / whether estimate exceeded / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006, section 132(2) / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 9 / rule 9.4 / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Complaints Service and Standards Committees) Regulations 2008, regulation 29 / HELD / various invoices complained about / section 132(2) / complainant is not a person chargeable with a bill of costs for a number of invoices / regulation 29 / ten invoices presented near end retainer / a number are under $2,000 / files are unrelated, no reason to aggregate / lawyer gave initial fee indication, which was exceeded / basis of estimate changed as retainer unfolded, common sense that estimate could not be relied on anymore / lawyer should have up…
  25. LCRO 9/2020 SC v KB and ZR (30 April 2020) [PDF, 110 KB]

    Complaint / Committee declined to take further action on complaint / Treaty of Waitangi claim / complaint lawyer perverted the course of justice and sabotaged treaty claim / second complaint / HELD / issues raised were addressed in an earlier complaint / repetition of allegations / once heard and addressed, a complaint can only be revisited in rare circumstances where compelling reasons justify further inquiry / application for review discloses no reasonable cause of action / application for review struck out / section 205(1)(a)