NSW Legal Services Commissioner v Leslie Elias Abboud [2021] NSWCATOD 23

Civil and Administrative Tribunal New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: NSW Legal Services Commissioner v Leslie Elias Abboud [2021] NSWCATOD 23 Hearing dates: 8 February 2021 Date of orders: 23 February 2021 Decision date: 23 February 2021 Jurisdiction: Occupational Division Before: Cole DCJ, Deputy President J Lonsdale, Senior Member Emeritus Professor P Foreman AM, General Member Decision: (1) Mr Abboud is reprimanded. (2) Mr Abboud shall: (a) at his own expense, successfully complete a course in Legal Ethics that is approved by the NSW Legal Services Commissioner ('the first course'), within 12 months of the date of these orders, achieving a mark of not less than 65% or such equivalent as shall be approved by the NSW Legal Services Commissioner ('the required mark'). (b) Within 7 days of receipt by him of his result in the course in Legal Ethics, provide the result to the NSW Legal Services Commissioner. (c) in the event that he does not achieve the required mark in the first course, complete a further Legal Ethics course approved by the NSW Legal Services Commissioner ('the second course') within 12 months of the date of the receipt of his result in the first course. (3) In the event that Mr Abboud does not achieve the required mark in the second course, his practising certificate shall be suspended. The suspension of his practising certificate shall not be lifted, and nor shall a further practising certificate be issued to Mr Abboud until such time as he shall complete a Legal Ethics course approved by the NSW Legal Services Commissioner with the required mark. (4) Mr Abboud is to pay the costs of the NSW Legal Services Commissioner in the sum of $15,000. Catchwords: OCCUPATIONS - Legal practitioners – solicitor -careless expression in email to medical expert - failure to review email sent from his address with an amendment to a historic email in an email chain - unsatisfactory professional conduct - protective orders Legislation Cited: Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) Cases Cited: Law Society of New South Wales v Maharaj [2017] NSWCATOD 79 Category: Principal judgment Parties: NSW Legal Services Commissioner (Applicant) Leslie Elias Abboud (Respondent) Representation: Solicitors: Office of the Legal Services Commissioner (Applicant) Moray & Agnew (Respondent) File Number(s): 2019/00286816 Publication restriction: Nil