Admitted Discipline Violations

Summary of Rule 4-59 - Administrative Penalty

Dr. Dongdong Huang

Location: Richmond, BC

Called to the bar: August 28, 1992

Penalty deemed to be admitted: December 21, 2022

FACTS

On October 4, 2022, an administrative penalty was assessed against Dr. Huang for $5000. The administrative penalty resulted from a breach of Rule 3-59 (cash transactions) of the Law Society Rules 2015. A breach of this Rule occurs where a lawyer receives or accepts cash funds, in an aggregate amount greater than $7,500 in respect of any one client matter, the lawyer makes use of the cash, and no exceptions as set out in Rules 3-59 apply.

Dr. Huang breached Rule 3-59 as follows:

1. On May 25, 2021, while acted for the buyer in a residential real estate transaction, Dr. Huang accepted $46,000.00 in cash into his trust account from the buyer (the “ Cash Funds” ), for the purpose of completing the real estate transaction.
2. On or around May 31, 2021, the Cash Funds were used to pay the seller, as part of the down payment for the Transaction.

Dr. Huang applied to the chair of the Discipline Committee (the “ Chair” ) for a review of the assessed penalty, per Rule 4-60(1). On December 21, 2022, after considering the submissions of the Law Society and of Dr. Huang, and pursuant to Rule 4-60(2), the Chair made the following order:

The penalty is confirmed and must be paid in accordance with the original notice delivered under Rule 4-59, and is due January 31, 2023, or such other date as Dr. Huang and the Law Society may agree, or that I may direct.

Because the original penalty was confirmed, Dr. Huang has been deemed to admit the above breach per Rule 4-59(5)(c).