Former Surrey lawyer Tejinder Singh Dhillon has been disbarred

Former Surrey lawyer Tejinder Singh Dhillon has been disbarred for committing professional misconduct.

The hearing panel found that Dhillon misappropriated client funds from his trust account on multiple occasions. Dhillon breached undertakings in both commercial transactions and to the Law Society, failed to retain supporting documents for his trust account and failed to supervise his staff by providing pre-signed blank cheques and access to his online trust account. In addition, his negligent supervision of staff resulted in an excess amount of $1.5 million in his trust account. He was also found to have acted in a conflict of interest when he allowed a corporation beneficially owned by his wife to lend his clients $50,000.

In making the decision, the hearing panel took into consideration the seriousness of the misconduct, his unwillingness to acknowledge responsibility for misuse of his trust account and his previous conduct record, which included a conduct review in 2017 for acting in an unprofessional and aggressive manner to staff at a mortgage company.

Dhillon is also ordered to pay $31,501 in costs and disbursements.

For the panel’s detailed reasons, see the decision of the hearing panel.