News Release
November 03, 2016

Vancouver, November 3, 2016 – 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 ordered that former lawyer Charles Albas of Penticton be suspended for four months starting October 31, 2016 and pay costs of $5,706.10.

Albas is no longer a member of the Law Society. The suspension is a result of his misconduct while he was a practicing lawyer.

The Law Society found Albas to have committed professional misconduct in relation to eight allegations, including:

borrowing money from clients on two occasions;

providing legal services to clients when he had a direct or indirect financial interest in the subject matter of the legal services on two occasions;

failing to disclose material facts to the court;

failing to correct the record with respect to material facts he later discovered;

misleading opposing counsel; and

failing to notify the Law Society of three judgement debts.

The decision on facts and determination is available here and written reasons for disciplinary action are available here.

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:

Vinnie Yuen
Communications Officer
604.697.5836
vyuen@lsbc.org