Solicitor William Egan of Dublin, Ireland; ethical goblin

The Law Society of Ireland presented Bernard O’Bierne with a law license in 1994 after he graduated from Queen’s University School of Law.

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal found Billy guilty of engaging in the following misconduct.

• Created a substantial deficit on their client account in the main by lodging client monies to the office account in breach of regulation Created a portion of a deficit when he lodged £27,000 to the office instead of the client account, which monies had been received for the purposes of stamping a deed
• Failed to stamp the deed as required to do
• Failed to maintain proper books of account, which included not writing up the books of account on a timely basis, entering entries in respect of a client in the wrong client ledger and recording insufficient detail on client ledgers
• Maintained very poor documentation of client transactions both on client files and in relation to client account cheques, thereby placing client monies at risk
• Wrongfully lodged substantial outlays, including counsel’s fees, to the office account
• Failed to discharge substantial amounts of outlay so lodged in a timely manner
• Incorrectly recorded a payment of £10,000 to himself as a bequest in breach of the rules
• Failed to record in the office account that, of the amount of £208,452.72 drawn on the client account and transmitted to AIB Bank, £66,000, on his instructions, were paid into the practice capital account in breach of the rules
• Failed to record in the books of account the receipt of costs of £12,294.53 in relation to a named case in breach and were subsequently unable to identify what became of the monies in breach of the rules
• Failed to record on the ledger account of a case an outlay disbursed in breach of the regulations
• Failed to record as a debit on the client ledger account of a named case £1,612.32 paid to counsel in breach of the rules
• Improperluy charged a percentage fee to a client in relation to a case
• Wrongfully withdrew monies for fees in the amount of £2,500, notwithstanding that the transaction had still not been concluded by
• Failed to record as a receipt in relevant office ledger account transfer of fees in the amount of £2,500 in breach of the rules
• Failed to record adequately in the books of account seven payments from a client account totalling £74,997 in relation to a named client in breach of the rules
• Failed to adequately document in the books of account in relation to a named case two sums of £4,923.40 and £6,526.80 in breach of the rules so that the source of these monies could not be adequately vouched
• Deducted fees in the amount of £2,750 in relation to a named matter on 18 March 1999 without furnishing a fee note or other written intimation in breach of the rules
• Failed to stamp a purchase deed relating to the acquisition of property by a named client in 1999 so that, there remained to the credit of the client account the sum of £11,899.66
• Drew a number of cheques from the client account which were made payable to cash in breach of the rules
• Level of supervision exercised over his practice accounts was deficient

As a direct consequence of his misconduct, the enablers for Solicitor Misfits sitting on the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal punished Billy by gifting him with a complimentary censure and imposed a fine of €1,000.

As we speak (ca. August 2020), Billy practices with Egan Cosgrave and Associates at 101 Lower Baggot Street in Dublin, Ireland.