W. Anthony Pearson

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

The complainant purchased a property and obtained a 1998 consent order granting specific performance; he paid the balance purchase price in 1999. The respondent, who had carriage of sale and was executor of the deceased registered proprietor's estate, failed to transfer the title. He parted with the duplicate certificate of title (giving it to his brother-in-law Mr Drake) without a registrable transfer and failed to probate the will, leaving the transaction incomplete despite repeated requests from the complainant's attorney. The Panel found this conduct constituted inexcusable and deplorable negligence and discredited the profession, finding the respondent guilty of professional misconduct in breach of Canons IV(s) and I(b). No dishonesty was found. The Panel directed a separate hearing on mitigation before imposing sanction; no sanction had yet been imposed in this decision.

Duties found breached:

• No taking unfair advantage
• Uphold public trust in the profession

Aggravating factors:

• Respondent is a senior attorney who should have known the required steps
• Repeated and specific requests by the complainant's attorney went unanswered
• Respondent was executor of the estate and a party to the proceedings, with heightened duty
• Long period of inaction (1999 to 2006/2007)