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Register of Disciplinary Action

Lawyer Name:O'donnell, John Alexander
Lawyer Type:Solicitor
Date/s of Admission/s: 16-Dec-1981
Law Practice:
(Formerly) John A O'Donnell & Associates
Business Address or Former Address:
(Formerly) 70 Market Street Wollongong
Place of Issue of Practising Certificate:New South Wales
Substance of Conduct Matter:

<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">1. Wilfully breached Sections 255 and 264 of Legal Profession Act 2004 - relating to trust funds</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">2. Wilfully breached Section 264 of the Legal Profession Act 2004 - handling of trust moneys</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">3. Misappropriated funds</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">4. Falsely witnessed documentation</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">5. Made false entries to trust account records</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">6. Breached Section 262 of the Legal Profession Act 2004 - deficiency in trust account</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">7. Misled the Investigator</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">8. Misled the Law Society</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">9. Acted without instructions</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">10. Made a false document titled "Trust Account Reconciliation"</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">11. Attempted to misappropriate funds</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">12. Prepared a false tax invoice</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">13. Breached undertakings that he provided to the Office of the Legal Services Commissioner</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">14. Breached Section 660 of the Legal Profession Act 2004</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">15. Acted unethically by holding out to the solicitor for an opposing party that he was his client's legal representative at a time when he had been suspended from practice</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">16. Without reasonable excuse, the Solicitor failed to communicate with the Office of the Legal Services Commissioner with respect to 2 distinct complaints</span></p>

Finding:Professional Misconduct
Unsatisfactory Professional Conduct
By:Legal Services Division of the Administrative Decisions Tribunal
Date: 31-May-2010
Disciplinary Action:
Costs
Removal of practitioner's name from the Roll of Local Lawyers
Proceedings Instituted By:Council of the Law Society of New South Wales
Citation:

[<a href="https://www.caselaw.nsw.gov.au/decision/549f65023004262463a344ea&quot;&gt;Council of the Law Society of NSW v O'Donnell [2010] NSWADT 130</a>]