Chrystine A. Bernard
Allegation / charges
Already Struck off, Restitution ordered | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered July 27, 2012. View PDF JUDGEMENT OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL LEGAL COUNCIL COMPLAINT NO. 2/2011 YVONNE MARIE CHIN COMPLAINANT CHRYSTINE WEDDERBURN BERNARD RESPONDENT PANEL: PAMELA …
Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision
The Complainant retained the Attorney to handle the sale of her home (purchase price $9,650,000). The Attorney failed to pay over $507,656.06 of the sale proceeds. After proceedings began she paid $50,000, leaving $457,656.06 owing. The panel found beyond reasonable doubt that the Attorney failed to account, converted the funds, and acted dishonestly in breach of the client's trust. It found the conduct warranted striking off (which it would have imposed but for the Attorney already being struck off), and instead ordered restitution with interest and costs. Charges of failing to deal with the business expeditiously and of inexcusable negligence (grounds 1 and 2) were not proven.
Duties found breached:
Aggravating factors:
- Prolonged failure to pay over proceeds despite many requests over months
- Attorney never denied owing the sum yet repeatedly delayed
- Conduct that would warrant striking off
Mitigating factors:
- Partial payment of $50,000 on account after the hearing commenced
⚠ figures not found verbatim in the source were dropped: ["unverified_costs_amount=125000"]
Duties engaged
Other decisions involving this respondent
Matched by respondent name — may include a different person with the same name.
Documents
Source: https://www.generallegalcouncil.org/judgement/chrystine-a-bernard-complaint-no-2-of-2011/