Disciplinary Register

The Register of Disciplinary Action contains information about lawyers who have been disciplined

Disciplinary action may be taken by the Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner, the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal, the Supreme Court or in some cases, by their interstate equivalents.

Below you can search the Register by lawyer’s name and/or the disciplinary action taken, or view the entire Register.

A finding of Professional Misconduct, whether made by the Commissioner, the Tribunal or the Supreme Court, must be published on the Register.

A less serious finding of Unsatisfactory Professional Conduct may be included on the Register, at the discretion of the Commissioner.

Not all lawyers subject to disciplinary action prior to 1 July 2014 are listed on the Register. Only lawyers who have been struck-off (ie removed from practice), suspended from practice or placed under supervision for a period of time (and which was in effect as at 1 July 2014) are on the Register. Some information is not on the Register for older disciplinary actions.

Lawyers found guilty of misconduct in other jurisdictions may have their details published on an interstate disciplinary action register.

If a finding that is entered on the Register is appealed, then the fact of the appeal will also be noted on the Register. If the appeal, or indeed any review:

results in the finding being quashed, then any reference to that disciplinary action must be removed from the Register;
results in the finding being otherwise varied, then the Register will be amended appropriately.

The Commissioner has a discretion to remove information that was previously included on the Register. They can only do so where the information relates to relatively minor misconduct, and only if it has been at least 2 years since the later of:

the inclusion of the information on the Register; and
the fulfilment of the order or requirement to which the information relates.

Disclaimer: The Commissioner is required to maintain the Register of Disciplinary Action in accordance with the Act, Section 89C. While all reasonable care is taken to make sure the information on the Register is correct and up-to-date, the Commissioner is not liable for any loss or damage that may result from reliance on the Register or from any error or deficiency in the Register. The Commissioner also has certain specific protections from liability under section 89F of the Act.

Lawyer name

Date of decision	Full name	Decision	Disciplinary action taken
2025	John Mark Fitzpatrick	Struck off the Roll of Legal Practitioners	Struck off
Full name John Mark Fitzpatrick Business address * Unit 1, 121 Walkerville Terrace, Walkerville SA 5081 Date(s) of admission 15 December 1986 Jurisdiction(s) of admission South Australia Home jurisdiction * South Australia Substance of Conduct Matter Repeated failures and breaches of Rules relating to the conduct of legal practitioners, including, repeated failures to respond in an adequate and timely manner to requests for information from the Commissioner and the Law Society, failing to honour an undertaking, delay without reasonable excuse, making a false and misleading statement to a client, failing to act in the best interests of clients, failing to deliver services competently and diligently, acting without instructions, making a dishonest statement to other solicitors, failing to complete MCPD requirements and breaching an order of the Supreme Court on 2 occasions. Decision Struck off the Roll of Legal Practitioners Date of decision 07 March 2025 Disciplinary action taken Struck off Notes Regulatory authority Supreme Court Appeal Decision or order Link to published decision
2025	Darren Paul Kruse	Professional Misconduct	Multiple Disciplinary Action
Full name Darren Paul Kruse Business address * 20 Coromandel Parade, Blackwood SA 5051 Date(s) of admission 14 July 2008 Jurisdiction(s) of admission South Australia Home jurisdiction * South Australia Substance of Conduct Matter Practising while in breach of a condition on his Practising Certificate regarding completion of an accredited Law Practice Management Course. Decision Professional Misconduct Date of decision 04 March 2025 Disciplinary action taken Multiple Disciplinary Action Fine Reprimand Notes Fine amount $4,000.00 Regulatory authority Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner Appeal Decision or order Decision not published
2025	Natale Vincent Oliveri	Professional Misconduct	Multiple Disciplinary Action
Full name Natale Vincent Oliveri Business address * 31 Beach Road, Christies Beach SA 5165 Date(s) of admission 06 December 2004 Jurisdiction(s) of admission South Australia Home jurisdiction * South Australia Substance of Conduct Matter Contravention of Orders made by the Commissioner under section 77J(1)(a) of the Act. Decision Professional Misconduct Date of decision 26 February 2025 Disciplinary action taken Multiple Disciplinary Action Fine Reprimand Notes Fine amount $3,000.00 Regulatory authority Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner Appeal Decision or order Decision not published
2025	Gregory Neil Welden	Professional Misconduct	Multiple Disciplinary Action
Full name Gregory Neil Welden Business address * 179 Grange Road, Findon SA 5023 Date(s) of admission 07 September 1998 Jurisdiction(s) of admission South Australia Home jurisdiction * South Australia Substance of Conduct Matter Executing PEXA Lands Title Registration forms without authority Decision Professional Misconduct Date of decision 17 February 2025 Disciplinary action taken Multiple Disciplinary Action Fine Reprimand Notes Fine amount $8,000.00 Regulatory authority Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner Appeal Decision or order Decision not published
2025	Alistair John Ormiston Field	Professional Misconduct	Multiple Disciplinary Action
Full name Alistair John Ormiston Field Business address * Adelaide Hills Law Chambers, 3/10 Gawler Street MT BARKER SA 5251 Date(s) of admission 07 October 2003 Jurisdiction(s) of admission South Australia Home jurisdiction * South Australia Substance of Conduct Matter 1. For the financial years ending 30 June 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, the Practitioner failed to: (i) submit to the Law Society the required statements regarding the receipt or holding of trust money, contrary to Regulation 48; (ii) have the trust records ready for external examination by the time required, in breach of Clause 25(2) of Schedule 2; and (iii) have the trust records externally examined, an offence under Clause 34(1) of Schedule 2. 2. The Practitioner failed to pay the required deposit of $9,100.00 into the Combined Trust Account for the period ending on 30 November 2022. 3. Monthly reconciliations of the trust account were not always made by the 15 day of the next month as required by Regulation 31(3). 4. As of 21 July 2022 there were three dormant balances in the trust account: (i) $100.00 held since 3 May 2019; (ii) $400.00 held since 31 July 2020; and (iii) $8.17 held since 26 January 2020. 5. The Practitioner failed to keep proper records as follows: (i) he did not make out a receipt for each deposit of trust money as soon as practicable after its receipt; (ii) he did not printed and kept as required confirmation of EFT payments; and (iii) payments from trust were not always recorded in the trust records within five (5) business days as required, in breach of Regulation 28(4). 6. The Practitioner brought all trust account records up to date and was fully compliant by the time of the next trust account compliance audit at the end of 2023. Decision Professional Misconduct Date of decision 03 February 2025 Disciplinary action taken Multiple Disciplinary Action Fine Reprimand Notes Fine amount $2,500.00 to be paid in five monthly instalments of $500.00 each. Regulatory authority Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner Appeal Decision or order Decision not published

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Disciplinary Register

The Register of Disciplinary Action contains information about lawyers who have been disciplined

Below you can search the Register by lawyer’s name and/or the disciplinary action taken, or view the entire Register.

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