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
2018	Mark Christopher Sander	Professional Misconduct	Multiple Disciplinary Action
Full name Mark Christopher Sander Business address * Level 1, 191 Melbourne Street, North Adelaide SA 5006 Date(s) of admission 01 February 1981 Jurisdiction(s) of admission South Australia Home jurisdiction * South Australia Substance of Conduct Matter Failure to progress the conduct of a matter on behalf of his client. Decision Professional Misconduct Date of decision 10 December 2018 Disciplinary action taken Multiple Disciplinary Action Fine Order to apologise Reprimand Notes Regulatory authority Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner Appeal Decision or order Decision not published
2018	Maddalena Romano	Unsatisfactory Conduct (pre 01/07/14)	Multiple Disciplinary Action
Full name Maddalena Romano Business address * 194A Prospect Road, Prospect SA 5082 Date(s) of admission 11 February 2002 Jurisdiction(s) of admission South Australia Home jurisdiction * South Australia Substance of Conduct Matter Failing to ensure the veracity of representations made to the Legal Services Commission and facilitating the making of false claims to the Legal Services Commission by completing and/or signing commitment certificates seeking payment of a disbursement that had not been incurred and for work that was not done. Decision Unsatisfactory Conduct (pre 01/07/14) Date of decision 28 June 2018 Disciplinary action taken Multiple Disciplinary Action Fine Reprimand Notes Conduct finding by Full Court on Appeal (SCCIV-17-281). Remitted back to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal to deal with penalty & costs (no. 1/2015) Regulatory authority Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal Appeal Decision or order Link to published decision , Link to published decision
2018	Neil Leonard Strawbridge	Unprofessional Conduct and Professional Misconduct	Multiple Disciplinary Action
Full name Neil Leonard Strawbridge Business address * Cleveland Chambers, Level 1, 133 Archer Street, North Adelaide SA 5006 Date(s) of admission 06 February 1989, 07 March 1967 Jurisdiction(s) of admission New Zealand South Australia Home jurisdiction * South Australia Substance of Conduct Matter Failure to do MCPD, submitting false certificate of compliance. Decision Unprofessional Conduct and Professional Misconduct Date of decision 20 April 2018 Disciplinary action taken Multiple Disciplinary Action Conditions on Practising Certificate Fine Reprimand Notes Fine of $3,000.00, 2 years to pay. Practitioner must provide details of proof of MCPD completed in each year to the Law Society of South Australia with his certificate of compliance, if intending to renew his Practising Certificate Regulatory authority Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner (Delegate) Appeal Decision or order Decision not published
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