Patrick Delaney
Allegation / charges
In the matter of Patrick Delaney, a solicitor previously practising as Patrick Delaney, Solicitors, Parkside House, Castleknock, Dublin 15, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2015 [ 2019/DT52 and 2020/DT08 and High Court 2023 no 52 SA] Law Society of Ireland (applicant) Patrick Delaney (respondent solicitor) 2020/DT08 On 30 March 2023, the tribunal found the respondent solicitor guilty of misconduct in his practice as a solicitor, in that he: 1) Caused an actual deficit in client funds of €1,530,566.16 as of 2 September 2019, with a further potential deficit of €767,401.76 being identified, making an apparent deficit of €2,297,967.91 in client funds as of 2 September 2019, 2) Misappropriated client funds by engaging in a process of teeming and lading, 3) Failed to lodge client monies received to the client’s bank account, 4) Made unauthorised withdrawals from the client bank account, 5) Made unauthorised transfers to ledger cards of unrelated clients, 6) Transferred professional fees when not in funds to do so, 7) Delayed in redeeming mortgages, as the relevant money for this purpose was misappropriated and redemption was not possible until further unrelated money was received, 8) Allegedly failed to stamp and register deeds, 9) Misappropriated monies belonging to clients by way of payment to gambling websites, 10) Made unauthorised withdrawals by way of cash totalling €28,870 from the client bank account, 11) Failed to keep proper books of accounts, in breach of regulation 13 of the Solicitors Accounts Regulations , 12) Was in breach of the Solicitors Accounts Regulations , including regulations 4(1), 6(5), 7(1), 9(4), 11(4), 12(1), 25, and 26, 13) Caused claims of €3,472,045.74 to be made on the compensation fund up to 5 May 2020, with payments of €925,457.46 being discharged as at that date. The tribunal directed that the Society bring its findings and reports before the High Court and, on 10 July 2023, the court ordered that: 1) The respondent solicitor’s name be struck off the Roll of Solicitors, 2) The respondent solicitor pay the sum of €11,000 to the compensation fund, 3) The respondent solicitor pay €1,500,000 as restitution to the applicant, 4) The respondent solicitor pay €9,786 as a contribution towards the whole of the costs of the applicant in the tribunal proceedings, 5) The respondent solicitor pay the applicant the sum of €3,604, representing the applicant’s costs of the High Court application.
Documents
No documents recorded.
Source: https://www.lawsociety.ie/Public/disciplinarysearch/