Notice of
Disbarment - David R. Wray
On April 14, 2008, a Resignation Committee appointed by the
Benchers of the Law Society of Alberta granted the application of
David R. Wray to resign, pursuant to Section 61 of the Legal
Profession Act, effective immediately. Mr. Wray is therefore
disbarred.
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Amendments Give
Clarity to Assurance Fund Process
Amendments to Division 2 of Part 6 of the Rules
of the Law Society of Alberta and the Assurance Fund Claims
Guidelines will now result in greater clarity in the Assurance Fund
claims process.
These revised
rules and guidelines on the Assurance Fund are designed
to:
·
facilitate a smoother, more "customer
service friendly" process for claimants seeking compensation,
·
increase the ability of the Law
Society of Alberta to investigate claims, and
·
add a safeguard that all decisions
are now public, and transparent.
These rules have been revised as part of a
larger LSA initiative to increase the professional competence of
Alberta lawyers. The new Assurance Fund rules complement efforts
being undertaken to reduce the risk of clients affected by trust
fund misappropriations.
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Indicators to
Watch For
The Law Society is becoming increasingly aware
of new series of fraud involving bank drafts, certified and
non-certified cheques.
While there are fraudulent activities occurring
all the time, new ones are emerging that often target sole
practitioners and lawyers in small firms. Risk indicators to
watch for include:
·
client seeks counsel outside
the area of the debtor’s jurisdiction
·
sense of urgency on the part of
the client,
·
ease with which agreement of
terms were met,
·
certified cheque/bank draft
made in to the firm in trust or name typed on signature line, and
the
·
ease with which the borrower’s
subsidiary agreed to service the debt.
How to Protect Yourself?
If you are dealing with clients you do not
know well, in order protect yourself and your trust account, contact
your bank and ask them to:
·
contact the bank issuing the
certified cheque/bank draft to verify the authenticity of the
certified cheque/bank draft, and
·
confirm that the funds have
been cleared.
If you draw from your trust account
without the certified cheque/bank draft being verified or cleared,
your firm may be exposed to
loss.
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