William Robert Feeney

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

William Robert Feeney, an Australian lawyer admitted in 2006 but never holding a practising certificate, was convicted in 2017 of dishonestly causing a risk of loss to the Commonwealth by failing to remit over $2.3 million in PAYG tax withholdings, diverting funds to a family trust and concealing his conduct. He was sentenced to 3.5 years imprisonment and ordered to pay reparation. The Tribunal found his conduct amounted to professional misconduct, found significant dishonesty was involved, and recommended his name be removed from the local roll. He was ordered to pay agreed costs of $20,000.

Duties found breached:

• Honesty
• Personal probity and fitness to practise

Aggravating factors:

• Significant dishonesty involved
• Large amount of money involved (over $2.3 million PAYG tax not remitted)
• Steps taken to conceal conduct, including false statements to staff and ATO auditor
• Altered ASIC records to disguise involvement
• Diverted funds to Wilky Trust used to purchase real estate
• Sentenced to imprisonment of three years and six months with reparation order of $1,425,194
• No demonstrated change to character since the conduct

Mitigating factors:

• Admitted the allegations and accepted characterisation as professional misconduct
• Did not oppose removal from the roll
• Agreed to costs order
• Conduct occurred outside legal practice
• Persistent depressive disorder noted (though not relied upon)