News Release
October 03, 2017

Vancouver, October 3, 2017 – The Law Society sets standards of professional responsibility for BC lawyers and articled students, and upholds those standards through a complaints and discipline process. These standards and processes are important to maintain public confidence and trust in lawyers. Accordingly, the Law Society has accepted admissions of professional misconduct from former lawyer Christopher Roy Penty of Kelowna, and permitted him to resign from membership in the Law Society in the face of discipline, effective September 28, 2017.

In an agreed statement of facts, Penty admitted to four allegations of professional misconduct, including preparing a last will and testament and naming himself as a beneficiary; acting in a conflict of interest; failing to comply with his client’s instructions to donate his share of the residual estate funds to charities by withdrawing and using some or all of those funds for his own personal use; and making misrepresentations to the court.

In resolving the disciplinary proceedings, the Law Society required Penty to agree not to apply for reinstatement for a period of seven years, in order to protect the public interest. Should Penty apply for reinstatement after seven years, he would then have to satisfy a credentials hearing panel that he is of good character and fit to practise law and, if reinstated, would have to comply with whatever conditions or limitations on his practice that may be imposed.

The Law Society of British Columbia upholds and protects the public interest in the administration of justice by ensuring the independence, integrity and competence of lawyers, establishing education and professional development standards for lawyers, regulating the practice of law and preserving and protecting the rights and freedoms of all persons

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For further information contact:

David Jordan
Communications Officer
604.443.5708
djordan@lsbc.org  

 

Vinnie Yuen
Communications Officer
604.697.5836
vyuen@lsbc.org