News Release
July 29, 2019

A hearing panel of the Law Society of British Columbia has ordered that North Vancouver lawyer William Lorne MacDonald be suspended for professional misconduct. The panel ordered that the two-month suspension commence August 1.

The Law Society found that MacDonald committed professional misconduct by misappropriating client trust funds totaling $1,977.20 for reasons of administrative convenience when he billed clients for inactive accounts, took money from trust when he was not entitled to do so, and deposited that trust money into his general account.

In determining the appropriate disciplinary action, the hearing panel noted several factors, including that the conduct was isolated and that MacDonald immediately acknowledged his wrongdoing, expressed remorse and cooperated with the Law Society.

The panel reiterated that misappropriation, regardless of whether it involves small amounts of money or is done for administrative convenience, is never acceptable.

Written reasons for the hearing panel’s decision are available on the Law Society website.

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For further information contact:

David Jordan
Communications Officer
604.443.5708
djordan@lsbc.org