News Release
April 01, 2022

A hearing panel of the Law Society Tribunal has ordered that West Vancouver lawyer Michael Murph Ranspot be suspended for three months. His suspension will start on May 30, 2022.

The hearing panel found that Ranspot had a conflict of interest when he acted for a client with whom he was in a personal relationship and when he loaned her funds without ensuring she had independent legal advice. The panel also found, and Ranspot admitted, that he assaulted this same client and romantic partner in respect of which he was charged with and pled guilty to one count of assault causing bodily harm. In the circumstances, the hearing panel found that his actions constitute conduct unbecoming a lawyer.

In ordering the three month suspension, the hearing panel considered the range of disciplinary actions in similar cases involving lawyers who verbally or physically assaulted their partner and Ranspot’s professional conduct record, which included two previous findings of professional misconduct. The panel noted that Ranspot entered an early guilty plea in the criminal proceeding, fulfilled the terms of his 16-month probation order and completed a corrections program, and that he participated in individual and group counselling sessions for about two and a half years.

The panel’s decision on facts and determination is available here and the panel’s decision on disciplinary action is available here.

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For media inquiries, contact:

Jason Kuzminski
Communications Director
604.697-5845
JKuzminski@lsbc.org