PAUL THOMAS WILLIAMS

Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision

The Legal Practitioners Complaints Committee brought three allegations against solicitor Paul Thomas Williams arising from efforts to recover his firm's fees in Supreme Court litigation. The Tribunal dismissed the allegation that Williams swore a false affidavit (the debt being 'due and payable' was not so obviously wrong as to be unprofessional conduct) and the allegation that he misled the Committee (his account aligned with the assigning solicitor Mr Workman's recollection). However, the Tribunal found unprofessional conduct in creating a serious conflict of interest by taking an assignment of a personal debt owed by his client and pursuing bankruptcy proceedings against the client while continuing to act for him in an appeal, principally to protect his own fee recovery. No dishonesty was found. He was fined $2000, reprimanded, and ordered to pay $5000 costs.

Duties found breached:

• No own-interest conflict

Mitigating factors:

• Practitioner's interest was substantially aligned with the client's interest
• Conduct did not in fact adversely impact the client's interests
• No suggestion the fees charged were unreasonable or unreasonably incurred