Lu v Council of the Law Society of New South Wales [2025] NSWCATOD 11

Civil and Administrative Tribunal New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Lu v Council of the Law Society of New South Wales [2025] NSWCATOD 11 Hearing dates: 30 August 2024 Date of orders: 31 January 2025 Decision date: 31 January 2025 Jurisdiction: Occupational Division Before: S Westgarth, Deputy President M Sindler, Senior Member Decision: (1) The decision of the Council of the Law Society of New South Wales finding that the Applicant engaged in unsatisfactory professional conduct is affirmed. (2) The Applicant is reprimanded. (3) The Applicant is ordered to undertake and complete an ethics training course approved by the Respondent within the period of six months from the publication of these orders. Catchwords: Administrative Law – review of disciplinary findings of the Professional Conduct Committee of the Council of the Law Society of New South Wales –money lent by solicitor to client-conflict of interest- breach of fiduciary duty- unsatisfactory professional conduct-appropriate protective orders-reprimand or caution. Legislation Cited: Administrative Decisions Review Act 1997 (NSW) Legal Profession Act 2004 (NSW) Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) Uniform Law Application Act 2014 (NSW) Cases Cited: Break Fast Investments Ltd v Rigby Cooke Lawyers (a Firm) [2021] VSC 398 Bar Association (NSW) v Evatt (1968) 117 CLR 177 Boardman v Phipps [1967] 2 AC 46 Chamberlain v Law Society of the Australian Capital Territory (1993) 43 FCR 148 Council of the New South Wales Bar Association v de Robillard (2023) NSWCATOD 75 Di Giovanni v Council of Law Society of New South Wales [2024] NSWCATOD 66 Dowsett v Reid (1912) 15 CLR 695 Faraj Constructions Pty Ltd v Say-Dew Pty Ltd (2007) 230 CLR 89; [2007] HCA 22 Johnson v Buttress (1936) 56 CLR 113 Kerin v Legal Practitioners Complaints Committee (1996) 67 SASR 419 Law Society of New South Wales v Harvey [1996] 2 NSWLR 154 Law Society of New South Wales v Maharaj [2017] NSWCATOD 79 Law Society of New South Wales v Moulton [1981] 2 NSWLR 736 Legal Profession Complaints Committee v Detata [2012] WASCA 214 Legal Practitioners Conduct Board v Kerin (2006) 246 LSJS 371 Legal Services Commissioner v Sapountzis [2010] VCAT 1124 Maguire v Makaronis (1997) 188 CLR 449 Maher v Honeysett and Maher Electrical Constructors Pty Ltd [2007] NSWSC 12 Marron v J Chatham Daunt Pty Ltd [1998] VSC 110 Mualim v Dzelme [2021] NSWCA 199 Rahme v Benjamin and Khoury Pty Ltd (2019) 100 NSWLR 550; [2019] NSWCA 211 Shi v Migration Agents Registration Authority (2008) 235 CLR 286; [2008] HCA 3 Shoal Bay Beach Constructions No 1 Pty Ltd v Mark Hickey and Ors [2023] NSWCA 23 Smith v New South Wales Bar Association (1992) 176 CLR 256 Stivactas v Michaletos (No 2) [1993] NSW Conv R 55-683 at 59,908 Union Fidelity Trustee Co of Australia v Gibson [1971] VR 573 Whereat v Duff [1972] 2 NSWLR 147 Yerkey v Jones (1939) 63 CLR 69 Texts Cited: Meagher, Gummow and Lehane, Equity Doctrine and Remedies (5th ed), 215, LexisNexis Butterworths Category: Principal judgment Parties: Jonathan Hai Song Lu (Applicant) Council of the Law Society of New South Wales (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: DA Lloyd SC and A Avery-Williams (Applicant) R Withana (Respondent)