Suspended for misconduct
Jane Seyd / North Shore News – Feb 6, 2026 / 9:36 pm | Story: 598251
Photo: Contributed
File photo of a BC courtroom.
A West Vancouver lawyer has been suspended from practising law for two months after admitting professional misconduct related to the use of his firm’s trust account.
In a decision released Jan. 27, a Law Society of British Columbia discipline panel ordered the suspension of Julian Reginald Porritt following a joint submission between the Law Society and the lawyer.
The panel found Porritt committed professional misconduct by allowing his firm’s trust account to be used to receive and disburse millions of dollars in transactions without providing legal services connected to the funds and without making adequate inquiries into the circumstances of the transfers.
According to an agreed statement of facts, between about 2017 and early 2021 Porritt received approximately $4.2 million into the trust account and paid out about $3.7 million through 22 transactions.
The decision notes the trust account was used in connection with two client files to transfer funds from people outside Canada to family members in Canada.
Money was received through a common practice in the clients’ cultural community involving transferring family wealth through third party brokers in such a way that no money was directly transferred outside of the clients’ home country, according to the decision.
Some of the transfers were described as family gifts or funds intended for investment or real estate purposes.
Lawyers’ trust accounts are intended to hold money connected to legal work being carried out for clients. The panel found that Porritt did not provide legal services directly related to the money and failed to make reasonable inquiries about the source and purpose of the money or why his trust account was being used to facilitate the transfers.
The panel found the circumstances – including the movement of large sums of money through third parties – should have prompted further questions.
In admitting misconduct, Porritt acknowledged that some transactions proceeded without adequate inquiry and that he failed to properly assess whether the use of his trust account was appropriate in the circumstances.
The decision notes that strict rules governing lawyers’ trust accounts are intended to protect the public and maintain confidence in the handling of clients’ money.
Porritt has been a member of the Law Society since 1984 and practised primarily in business and real estate law through his own firm since 1994.
In addition to the suspension, Porritt was ordered to pay $3,000 in costs.