A hearing panel of the Law Society has ordered that former lawyer Sandra Helen Mary Smaill, QC be disbarred for professional misconduct.
The panel found that Smaill committed professional misconduct by misappropriating or improperly withdrawing trust funds on multiple occasions, failing to deposit retainers into her pooled trust account for two clients, failing to maintain accounting records, failing to remit GST funds and employee payroll sources deductions to the Canada Revenue Agency, and repeatedly failing to respond to Law Society communications during the course of its investigation.
In determining the disciplinary penalty, the panel considered the numerous and serious instances of misconduct, Smaill’s refusal to acknowledge responsibility or her misconduct or participate in the regulatory process, as well as her prior disciplinary record which included two conduct reviews. Smaill’s disbarment takes effect immediately, although at time of the order she was a former lawyer and no longer practising law.
Written reasons for the hearing panel’s decision on facts and determination are available here and the hearing panel’s decision on disciplinary action are available here.
-30-
For further information contact:
Vinnie Yuen
Communications Officer
604.697.5836
vyuen@lsbc.org