The Law Society has ordered that former lawyer James Anthony Comparelli be disbarred for professional misconduct.
A hearing panel convened by the Law Society found that Comparelli acted in a conflict of interest and misappropriated or improperly withdrew funds from a trust account in his role as executor of a will.
Comparelli prepared a will for a client that included a $40,000 gift to himself. Acting as administrator of the estate following the client’s death, he withdrew $137,030 from trust in payment of his executor fees, without receiving signed releases from the beneficiaries. He then made further withdrawals in payment of his executor fees totalling an additional $236, 208. The total fees withdrawn were $40,000 in excess of the approved executor fees.
In July 2017 the Law Society notified Comparelli his practice would be subject to a practice audit. Comparelli then self-reported his misconduct, repaid the $40,000 fee overpayment, and retained another lawyer to help him complete the administration of the estate. In November 2017 Comparelli withdrew membership from the Law Society and became a former lawyer.
The hearing panel accepted Comparelli’s admission that his conduct demonstrates a deliberate and prolonged course of misappropriation. It also found that although Comparelli cooperated with the Law Society investigation, his acknowledgement of misconduct, remedial steps and winding up of his practice came only after he received notice of an impending compliance audit.
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For further information contact:
David Jordan
Communications Officer
604.443.5708
djordan@lsbc.org