Victorian Legal Services Board Serene Teffaha

05 Déc Victorian Legal Services Board Serene Teffaha

Ms. Teffaha stated that the decision did not take into account whistleblower complaints filed by her and her clients against the board. The report notes that we have closed 16 criminal cases for unqualified legal practice, and then cites Fairley & Karne as an example of prosecution. All complaints by persons accessing Apex Logistics` services regarding the conduct of its legal representatives must and will be dealt with in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Uniform Legal Profession Act (Victoria). When a manager is appointed to a law firm, he or she takes control of the funds held in the law firm`s escrow account through the application of the uniform law of the legal profession (Victoria). The manager is then required by law to manage the funds only in accordance with the legislation and cannot release the funds without proper records, proof of eligibility and authorization. The funds are therefore not held illegally. Jacob Uljans, a partner at Hall & Wilcox, was retained by the Board of Directors to administer the litigation and assumed operational responsibility for Ms. Teffaha`s Preston law firm, Advocate Me.

Mr. Jensen is not a lawyer. He never had a legal qualification and his companies were never registered as a law firm. In Victoria, an unqualified person commits a criminal offence to perform legal work or falsely claim that he or she is qualified to practise law. Nevertheless, he has provided legal services to unsuspecting individuals on several occasions, including representation in court. We would like to point out that Me Paul Simon does not currently hold a traineeship certificate and is therefore not able to practise as a lawyer. Teffaha told the court that $654,000 in legal fees had been frozen in an escrow account that she wanted to reimburse clients. Up to $40,000 was in another fixed account for « donations, » she said. Ms. Papello told the court that Ms.

Teffaha had also violated the Uniform Law on the Legal Profession by continuing to practise law after her licence was revoked and by « obstructing » the lawyer appointed to direct the work of her firm. VLSB+C confirms that as of April 15, 2021, lawyer Serene Teffaha no longer holds an articling license and can no longer work as a lawyer. She cried and claimed Thursday in Victoria Supreme Court that the state regulator tried to « sabotage » her after overturning her certificate of law practice. The Board appointed Mr. Rapke in the position of Director due to concerns about how the law firm provides legal services and non-compliance with the regulator`s instructions and the requirements of its investigators. « My conclusion that Mr. Zita is not currently incapacitated because he lacks the morality and reliability necessary to assume responsibility for the exercise of the right would normally require that he be removed from office. I do not extend this conclusion to the finding that he is permanently or indefinitely incapacitated, which opens up Mr. Zita`s argument that suspension is the appropriate response. In a speech at an anti-lockdown protest in Broadmeadows last December, the lawyer mobilised against « the corrupt legal profession » and « corrupt judges ».

She added that wearing masks was unnecessary and that sick people should not be detained in hotels. « I am satisfied that the findings of the referral judgment regarding Mr. Zita`s conduct show that he has not been able to work with judges and legal practitioners to ensure that justice is administered with integrity. Simply put, Mr. Zita cannot be trusted to be courageously independent. It cannot be trusted to place the integrity of the administration of justice above all else, especially personal or private interests. This trait – his susceptibility to observation of powerful authority figures – has demonstrated and continues to demonstrate an inability to recognize when independent judgment was and is necessary, and an inability to recognize when the proper administration of justice has been corrupted, and how this consequence could or could have been avoided by appropriate ethical behavior. Attorney Nicole Papaleo told Justice Jacinta Forbes that Teffaha refused to work with a board-appointed lawyer to look after her clients or say who her clients were. Mr. Jensen`s conduct is one of the most serious examples of unqualified legal practice we have ever seen. We welcome today`s punishment as it sends a strong message to anyone considering following in Mr. Jensen`s footsteps – fake lawyers face serious consequences.

We are concerned about legal work performed in or in connection with legal proceedings initiated or threatened by Apex Logistics against consumers. Ms Grubisa is also prohibited from advertising, claiming or implying that she has the right to practise as a lawyer. Teffaha agreed, but said she had no clients other than those involved in the class action because they had found another legal representation. Justice Forbes gave Ms. Teffaha until the end of the month to provide information on the status of certain client and bank account cases related to her practice, as requested by counsel. As for the social housing class action lawsuit, it has not yet been registered for a hearing. And it is now uncertain whether it will take place under a different legal representation, as originally planned. The Honourable Justice Dixon today delivered his decision in the case of Anthony Zita (A Solicitor).

Mr. Zita was a solicitor appointed in the proceedings brought by Banksia Securities Limited Group. The explanatory memorandum states that Mr Zita was suspended from his professional activity until 1 July 2024. The court ordered that this come into effect in 14 days from today so that Mr. Zita can consider his options in relation to the decision. Thereafter, Mr. Zita will no longer be able to practise as a lawyer and will be prohibited from advertising, declaring or implying that he has the right to practise as a lawyer. In 2018, we obtained an injunction against Mr. Jensen not to provide legal services to prevent him from causing further harm to the public. Unfortunately, he violated this order in 2020 by providing unrestricted legal advice to a man accused of a serious crime.

Acting on this advice led the man to violate a court order, resulting in another criminal complaint. Subsequently, we prosecuted Mr. Jensen for contempt of court, and he was convicted in August of this year. Editor`s note (April 22, 2021): This article has been updated to make clear that the $654,000 in legal fees affects a broader range of clients than the Tower Lockdown class action lawsuit. The legal regulator says it warned Teffaha in March that she could cancel her articling certificate. It seems that legal practitioners from other companies may work for Apex Logistics. Victoria`s legal watchdog is threatening to revoke the articling certificate of the lawyer behind a class action lawsuit filed on behalf of 3,000 high-rise social housing residents who were forcibly locked up in their homes at the height of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Counsel confirmed that it had revoked the licence of lawyer Serene Teffaha because the Melbourne lawyer no longer had an articling certificate and could not practise law. But the Guardian confirmed that Teffaha is under investigation by the Victorian Legal Services Board, the agency responsible for regulating the legal profession in the state.

The commission did not specify what led to the withdrawal of Ms. Teffaha`s licence. Ms. Dominique Grubisa no longer holds an internship certificate in Victoria. As a result, she is not currently licensed to practise law anywhere in Australia. VSLB has appointed Jacob Uljans, a partner at Hall and Wilcox, to acquire Advocate Me of Teffaha for the next six months. While the anti-lockdown lawyer is currently appealing the decision that the legal regulator has taken against her. The Victoria Legal Services Commission and the Commissioner confirm that Norman O`Bryan and Michael Symons no longer hold professional certificates and can no longer practise law in Victoria. « The Victorian Legal Services Board is committed to effectively regulating the legal profession and maintaining high standards in the profession to protect consumers of legal services.

The Board shall have the power to intervene in law firms if it is satisfied that the intervention is justified and is entitled to recover the costs of the intervention from the law firm concerned. Law Innovation is not registered with VLSB+C and cannot operate in legal practice. Teffaha was reportedly referred to the Queensland Judicial Committee by a judge last month after pleading a case in the state. Today, Dennis Wayne Jensen was sentenced by the Supreme Court of Victoria to three months in prison, suspended for 12 months after being found in contempt of court. Mr Jensen was also ordered to pay the costs incurred by the Chamber. Jensen had violated a 2018 court order prohibiting him from engaging in any lawful activity. On Monday, Teffaha said the loss of her license would have no impact on the class action lawsuit and that she had written a whistleblower complaint against the legal guardian, which she saw as the focus of her litigation. The email, filed as part of a council affidavit, also states that Teffaha would seek to reimburse people`s legal fees « and then contact you to continue to support us » as « counsel. » .