Minett Lawrence

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

The complainant, a young businessman, was a client of the attorney (a Jamaican sole practitioner) who incorporated an offshore company (KANN JSA) for him. The attorney then introduced him to an investment opportunity with 'Schwarzenberg Trust Services' via one Norman McLeod, drafted a loan agreement in which she acted for both the lender (complainant's company) and the borrower (the Trust), and arranged for US$400,000 to be wired to a Florida 'cash management company' (Sotayreeah Financial Services). By letter of 12 September 2008 she advised that US$532,000 (principal plus interest) had been repaid, but only US$34,000 was paid and a US$15,000 cheque was dishonoured. The panel found she failed to do due diligence, took no written instructions, kept no records, could produce no documents proving the entities existed, had an undisclosed conflict of interest, and failed to account. The panel made an express finding (para 78) that she was involved in a dishonest scheme to persuade the complainant to part with his funds in a fictitious investment. She was found guilty of professional misconduct in breach of Canons iv(k), iv(r), vii(b)(ii) and I(b) and ordered to account for US$498,000 with interest; sanction was deferred pending submissions.

Duties found breached:

• Overriding duty to the court
• Uphold public trust in the profession
• No conflict between current clients
• No improper use of client money

Aggravating factors:

• Substantial sum involved (US$498,000)
• Experienced attorney (called in 1990, 18 years' practice)
• Took advantage of the complainant's youth/inexperience
• Failed to produce any documentation to establish the existence of the entities involved
• Panel concluded she was involved in a dishonest scheme to induce the complainant to part with his funds in a fictitious investment