Council of the Law Society of NSW v Nicholls [2012] NSWADT 222

Administrative Decisions Tribunal New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Council of the Law Society of NSW v Nicholls [2012] NSWADT 222 Hearing dates: 17 May 2012 Decision date: 31 October 2012 Jurisdiction: Legal Services Division Before: M Riordan, Judicial Member J Wakefield, Judicial Member Prof. R Fitzgerald, Non Judicial Member Decision: 1. The Respondent Solicitor is guilty of professional misconduct. Catchwords: Solicitor - Disciplinary proceeding - Practice in breach of provisions regulating trust accounts - Legal Profession Act 2004 Sections 254, 260 - Intermixing trust monies with other monies - misappropriation - penalty Legislation Cited: Legal Profession Act 2004 Cases Cited: Brereton v Legal Services Commissioner [2010] VSC 378 Council of the Law Society of New South Wales v. Clapin [2011] NSWADT 83 Council of the Law Society of New South Wales v. Simpson [2011] NSWADT 242 Council of the Queensland Law Society Inc v Wakeling [2004] QCA 42 Daly v. Sydney Stock Exchange Limited [1986] HCA 25; (1986) 160 CLR 371 Harle v Legal Practitioners Liability Committee (2004) 13 ANZ Insurance Cases 61-605 Lancashire Railway Co v. MacNicoll(1919) 88 LJKB 601 Law Society of NSW v. Doherty [2010] NSWCA 177 Law Society of New South Wales v. McCarthy [2003] NSWADT 198 Legal Practitioners Conduct Board v. Jones [2010] SAS CFC 51 Legal Services Commissioner v. Brereton[2011] VSCA 241 Myers v. Ellman [1940] AC 282 Penfolds Wines Pty Ltd v. Elliott (1946) 74 CLR 204 Peters v. R(1998) [1998] HCA 7: 192 CLR 493 Stewart v. Layton(1992) 111 ALR 687 Texts Cited: Riley, Solicitors Manual: Commentary (ed G Dal Pont: Butterworths, 2005, updated) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Council of the Law Society of New South Wales (Applicant) Fay Marie Veronica Nicholls (Respondent) Representation: C Groenewegen (Applicant) F M V Nicholls (Respondent In Person) File Number(s): 122008