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| Guilty of professional misconduct: retired solicitor Bruce Vernon Dennis |
SYDNEY'S insolvency profession may be interested to learn that ex-solicitor Bruce Vernon Dennis - who has acted for many liquidators and trustees in the past - has been found guilty of professional misconduct by the Council of the Law Society of NSW.
In a 34 page judgement handed down today the Council detailed a litany of breaches of statutory obligations by Dennis, whom the Council refers to as "the Solicitor".
" ... the statement of agreed facts reveals multiple breaches by the Solicitor of his professional obligations many of which are enshrined in statute," the Council said.
"The community would have particular concern about those breaches which involve a failure to give the utmost care and attention to the handling of trust money.
"In many of the instances mentioned in the Statement of agreed facts the Solicitor seems to have regarded with contempt the quite specific obligations created by sections 254 and 255 of the Legal Profession Act and the provisions of the Act regards disclosure of costs."
In a 34 page judgement handed down today the Council detailed a litany of breaches of statutory obligations by Dennis, whom the Council refers to as "the Solicitor".
Overcharging, failing to appropriately account for monies and unauthorised transfers of funds from so-called "estate" accounts to general accounts figure prominently in the breakdown of Dennis's alleged transgressions, of which more than a few are admitted.
" ... the statement of agreed facts reveals multiple breaches by the Solicitor of his professional obligations many of which are enshrined in statute," the Council said.
"The community would have particular concern about those breaches which involve a failure to give the utmost care and attention to the handling of trust money.
"In many of the instances mentioned in the Statement of agreed facts the Solicitor seems to have regarded with contempt the quite specific obligations created by sections 254 and 255 of the Legal Profession Act and the provisions of the Act regards disclosure of costs."