Legal Services Commissioner v Bechara [2009] NSWADT 145

CITATION: Legal Services Commissioner v Bechara [2009] NSWADT 145

DIVISION: Legal Services Division

APPLICANT Legal Services Commissioner PARTIES: RESPONDENT Maria Bechara

FILE NUMBER: 062023

HEARING DATES: 26 February, 2009, 27 February 2009, 2 April 2009, 3 June 2009

DATE OF DECISION: 18 June 2009

BEFORE: Haylen W - J (Deputy President); Barnes M - Judicial Member; O'Neill A - Non-Judicial Member

CATCHWORDS: Professional misconduct - deliberate charging of grossly excessive costs - failure to apportion costs of joint hearing involving three clients

Bechara v Kobeissi [2005] NSW SC 192 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336) Brown v West (1990) 169 CLR 195 Carter v Newcastle Wallsend Coal Co (1909) 9 SR(NSW) 474 Council of the Queensland Law Society Inc v Roche [2004] 2 Wd R 574 re de Jersey CJ. D'Alessandro v Legal Practitioners Complaints Committee [1995] 15 WAR 198 at 211 per Ipp J Law Society of the Australian Capital Territory v Lardner [1998] ACTSC 24 at [120] Legal Services Commissioner v Galitsky[2008] NSWADT 48 CASES CITED: Legal Services Commissioner v Maria Bechara [2008] NSWADT 215) Leon Nikoliadis v Legal Services Commissioner [2007] NSWCA 130 Malouf v Jazairy (2003) NSW SC 762 Mercantile Mutual Life Insurance Co Ltd & anor v Australian Securities Commission and ors (1992-3) 112 ALR 563) Moore v Attorney-General (Irish Free State) [1935] AC 484 Murray v Legal Services Commissioner (1999) 46 NSW LR 224 New South Wales Bar Association v Meakes [2006] NSWCA 340 R v Bevan; Ex parte Elias and Gordon (1942) 66 CLR 452 at 487 R v Moore; Ex parte Graham (1977) 138 CLR 164 Re: Veron; Ex parte Law Society of New South Wales (1966) 84 WN(NSW) 136 Veghelyi v The Law Society of New South Wales(1989) 17 NSWLR 669