A tribunal has found prominent barrister Charles Waterstreet guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct for sexually harassing three women, but declined to find he was unfit to practice after accepting expert evidence that undiagnosed mental illness “was the dominant causal factor” behind his actions.
The liquidators for Halifax Investment Services were justified in reaching a compromise settlement in proceedings against King & Wood Mallesons alleging the firm and former auditor Bentleys failed to advise the defunct stockbroker that it had to hold client funds used to trade on its online platform on trust, a judge has found.
A judge hearing Bruce Lehrmann’s reopened defamation trial has expressed concern about evidence regarding non-parties to the lawsuit, including a solicitor who is said to have acted for Seven, saying “allegations are being thrown around like a gatling gun”.
A Perth solicitor found guilty of professional misconduct for failing to pay a barrister’s $137,000 bill and deliberately misleading the Legal Practice Board of WA has been struck from the roll of practitioners.
A court has struck the name of an Adelaide solicitor from the roll for failing to pay six barristers and misappropriating trust funds, finding the misconduct was not excused by his financial difficulties.
A solicitor who posted comments on his client’s Facebook page about an ongoing criminal proceeding has been reprimanded for improper use of social media.
Mainstream adoption of artificial intelligence in the legal community is right around the corner, and experts have urged law firm partners to take control and rise to the challenge rather than letting junior lawyers determine when and how the technology is utilised.
A Melbourne lawyer has received a suspended sentence of 30 days imprisonment for “stubborn and wilful disobedience” of court orders, after he failed to share logins and passwords to his firm’s computer records with an auditor appointed by Victoria’s legal watchdog.
The former director of public prosecutions in the ACT, Shane Drumgold SC, has largely succeeded in his challenge against an inquiry into the prosecution of Brittany Higgins’ assault claims against Bruce Lehrmann, with a judge finding the inquiry’s report gave rise to an apprehension of bias.
Victoria’s judicial watchdog has dropped its investigation of a complaint against Supreme Court Justice Lex Lasry by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Kerri Judd SC, who accused the judge of making comments attacking her professional integrity.