Vancouver, September 17, 2018 – The Law Society of British Columbia acts to protect the public against individuals who hold themselves out to be lawyers when they are not.
From May 14 to September 6, 2018, the Law Society obtained written commitments from nine individuals and businesses to stop engaging in unauthorized practice of law. If they break their promise, the Law Society may obtain a court order against them. These individuals and businesses put the public at risk by performing unregulated and uninsured legal services or misrepresenting themselves as lawyers.
During that time period, the Law Society also obtained orders prohibiting the following individuals and business from engaging in the unauthorized practice of law:
On July 31, 2018, Mr. Justice Tammen ordered that Joseph Alain Theriault, of Vancouver, and his company Trojan Roofing and Exteriors Inc., be permanently prohibited from engaging in the practice of law for a fee. The order prohibits Theriault and his company from referring to themselves as lawyers or in any other way that connotes that they are entitled or qualified to practise law. The Law Society alleged that Theriault and his business brought two actions in Small Claims Court on behalf of their customers, gave legal advice, and attempted to negotiate the settlement of the claims for damages, for or in the expectation of a fee, gain or reward. The court awarded the Law Society costs fixed at $3,409.
On August 15, 2018, Madam Justice Burke granted an order prohibiting former lawyer Susan Margaret Ben-Oliel of Vancouver from engaging in the practice of law, falsely representing herself as a lawyer, and commencing, prosecuting or defending proceedings in court on behalf of others. As long as she remains a registered patent agent, she is permitted to offer patent services to the extent permitted by the Patent Act. As a term of the order, Ben-Oliel must inform potential clients that she is not a lawyer and that her business, IP Law Complete, is not a law firm. The court awarded the Law Society costs fixed at $2,500.
To read the orders, search by name in the Law Society’s database of unauthorized practitioners.
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For further information contact:
David Jordan
Communications Officer
604.697.5836
djordan@lsbc.org