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 is still in effect as at 1 July 2014) are on the Register. Some information isn't 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 Act and the Regulations were amended as from 30 July 2017 so that, in some cases, the Commissioner now has the discretion to remove information that he had previously included on the Register. However, he 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
2017	Steven John Gareth Thomas	Practitioner's name struck off the Roll	Struck off
Full name Steven John Gareth Thomas Business address * C/- Howard Zelling Chambers, GHD Building, Level 12, 211 Victoria Square, Adelaide SA 5000 Date(s) of admission 16 December 1991 Jurisdiction(s) of admission South Australia Home jurisdiction * South Australia Substance of Conduct Matter (1) Fraudulent Misappropriation (2) Swearing false affidavit and permitting to be filed in Court Decision Practitioner's name struck off the Roll Date of decision 05 December 2017 Disciplinary action taken Struck off Notes Strike off by consent Regulatory authority Supreme Court Appeal Decision or order Link to published decision
2017	Robert Alessandro Berton	Unprofessional Conduct and Professional Misconduct	Multiple Disciplinary Action
Full name Robert Alessandro Berton Business address * 1 Hoylake Crescent, West Lakes SA 5021 Date(s) of admission 05 December 1977 Jurisdiction(s) of admission South Australia Home jurisdiction * South Australia Substance of Conduct Matter Failure to progress estate administration within a reasonable time. Decision Unprofessional Conduct and Professional Misconduct Date of decision 30 November 2017 Disciplinary action taken Multiple Disciplinary Action Conditions on Practising Certificate Fine Reprimand Notes Fine of $5,000.00. All probate and estate files to be subject to quarterly examination and satisfactory report on progress by supervisor until the end of 2018. Should Probate and Administration files not be adequately managed during this time, the Practitioner is to divest himself to them and take no new instructions in that field until further order. The Practitioner is not to supervise any practitioner in their first two years of practice. Divestment order invoked 28 September 2020 - Mr Berton has now been required to divest himself of all Probate and Estate Administration files and not accept any new instructions with regard to Probate or Estate Administration matters until further order. Compliance by 6 November 2020 required. Regulatory authority Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner Appeal Decision or order Decision not published
2017	Paul Ignatius Boylan	Professional Misconduct	Multiple Disciplinary Action
Full name Paul Ignatius Boylan Business address * 138 Florence Street, Port Pirie SA 5540 Date(s) of admission 07 February 1978 Jurisdiction(s) of admission South Australia Home jurisdiction * South Australia Substance of Conduct Matter Failure to respond to a Notice issued under Schedule 4 Clause 4 and dated 19 July 2016 requiring the production of documents within the time frame specified in the Notice. Decision Professional Misconduct Date of decision 25 October 2017 Disciplinary action taken Multiple Disciplinary Action Fine Reprimand Notes Regulatory authority Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner Appeal Decision or order Decision not published
2017	Nathan William Thompson	Unprofessional Conduct	Recommend that proceedings be commenced in the Supreme Court
Full name Nathan William Thompson Business address * Not Practising Date(s) of admission 03 December 2007 Jurisdiction(s) of admission South Australia Home jurisdiction * South Australia Substance of Conduct Matter The Practitioner when defending a client in an action taken by the Motor Accident Commission provided false and misleading information to the District Court, filed an affidavit containing false and misleading information and falsely reconstructed the client file so that it contained copies of correspondence not sent. Decision Unprofessional Conduct Date of decision 12 October 2017 Disciplinary action taken Recommend that proceedings be commenced in the Supreme Court Notes Regulatory authority Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal Appeal Decision or order Link to published decision
2017	Alfonso Paul Strappazzon	Struck off with practitioner's consent.	Struck off
Full name Alfonso Paul Strappazzon Business address * 15 Brougham Place, Alberton SA 5014 Date(s) of admission 03 April 1978 Jurisdiction(s) of admission South Australia Home jurisdiction * South Australia Substance of Conduct Matter - Decision Struck off with practitioner's consent. Date of decision 25 July 2017 Disciplinary action taken Struck off Notes Practitioner's latest tax offences are still to be finally dealt with by the Magistrates Court. Regulatory authority Supreme Court of South Australia Appeal Decision or order Link to published decision