NINO DE PARDO

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

The Full Bench of the Supreme Court of WA struck Nino Anthony De Pardo off the Roll of Practitioners following SAT findings that he engaged in dishonest illegal conduct by diverting his father's Centrelink aged pension payments to his company's account and forging his deceased father's signature to obtain further payments, totalling around $22,000. The Tribunal expressly found the conduct dishonest and fraudulent. Though the misconduct had a medical origin (chronic depression), the Court found no evidence the condition was cured, so the protective purpose required removal. No order was made as to the costs of the motion, given the practitioner's acquiescence, treating them as part of the regulatory process.

Duties found breached:

• Cease acting on client perjury or disobedience
• No improper use of client money

Aggravating factors:

• Continuing series of acts of dishonesty over nearly two years
• Conduct only ceased when Centrelink discovered the fraud
• Forgery of deceased father's signature

Mitigating factors:

• Suffered from chronic depression affecting cognition and judgement, aggravated by deaths of his parents
• Remorse and shame; did not oppose the order
• Consented to and acquiesced in proceedings throughout
• Had not practised as a lawyer for some years due to illness