Arlean D. Moreta Beckford

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

The Complainant, a longstanding client, lent Attorney Arlean Beckford J$4,000,000.00 in February 2011 after she said she needed to repay a client whose sale proceeds she had lent to a friend. She signed a Promissory Note for $2,600,000.00 due 18 February 2011. She repaid $1,400,000.00 but $2,600,000.00 remained unpaid. The Attorney repeatedly failed to attend hearings and the matter was heard in her absence under Rule 8. The Panel found she borrowed money from a client (an abuse of the attorney-client relationship) and failed to advise him to seek independent legal advice, in breach of Canons I(b) and VIII(b), and found her guilty of professional misconduct. No express finding of dishonesty was made. Sanction was deferred to a separate Sanction Hearing per Owen Clunie.

Duties found breached:

• Uphold public trust in the profession
• No improper benefit, loan or bequest
• No improper use of client money

Aggravating factors:

• Abuse of the attorney-client relationship built on the client's confidence in her as his lawyer
• Failure to repay the outstanding $2,600,000.00
• Scandalously negligent failure to advise client to obtain independent legal advice

Mitigating factors:

• Repaid $1,400,000.00 of the $4,000,000.00 borrowed about six months later