Calvin Benjamin Rose

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

The complaint concerned attorney Calvin Rose, sole executor and beneficiary under Olive Pascoe's 2017 will. The Committee was not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the 2017 will was a forgery, rejecting the Complainant's and Mr. Nicholson's evidence (no handwriting expert testified). However, it found the Attorney, who had a solicitor-client relationship with the Deceased, breached his fiduciary duty by accepting a substantial gift (property valued at $9.5M) without advising the client to obtain, and insisting on, independent legal advice, allowing his professional duty and personal interest to conflict. It also found he gave false information on the death certificate by describing himself as the Deceased's son (used to obtain probate), contravening the Perjury Act and discrediting the profession in breach of Canon 1(b). The Committee did not make an express finding of dishonesty. The Attorney was found guilty of professional misconduct; sanction was deferred pending submissions.

Duties found breached:

• Cease acting on client perjury or disobedience
• No conflict between current clients
• No improper communication with the court
• No own-interest conflict
• Uphold public trust in the profession