Disbarred B.C. lawyer still faces potential discipline in 3 cases

Hong Guo's long history of misconduct caught up with her last week when she was officially barred from practising as a lawyer and declared "ungovernable," but the Law Society of B.C. is still working through previous complaints against her.

Just three days after Guo was disbarred last week, a discipline panel issued yet another decision about her, upholding five counts of misconduct related to Guo's misappropriation and mishandling of client funds. Any potential penalties have yet to be decided.

In all, the law society still has to work through three outstanding citations alleging wrongdoing by the one-time Richmond mayoral candidate, a spokesperson told CBC.

"Guo's professional conduct record is particularly long and aggravated," the spokesperson said in a written statement.

"Fortunately, the vast majority of B.C. lawyers do not have any disciplinary history."

Even though Guo has already been disbarred, the law society still has the power to discipline her, including by ordering financial penalties. The law society says she could also face multiple disbarments, as in the case of Aaron Murray Lessing, who was disbarred for a third time last year in a decision that acknowledged the measure was largely symbolic.

Guo could not be reached for comment.

Lawyer sees herself as a 'victim'

The Nov. 17 decision to disbar Guo runs down a long list of previous investigations, conduct reviews and disciplinary actions, calling her professional conduct record "lengthy, serious and highly aggravating."

That record includes facilitating her bookkeeper's theft of $7.5 million in clients' funds, misappropriating clients' money to complete real estate deals, consistently failing to respond to inquiries from the law society, misleading clients, and breaching an order to not handle trust money.

The discipline panel that disbarred Guo said it was clear she is "ungovernable" — either unwilling or unable to accept the authority and direction of the law society. It goes on to say that the resources required to deal with Guo over the last several years are no longer sustainable.

"She has shown little insight into the findings made against her and continues to see herself as a victim. She has taken almost no steps to educate herself on her responsibilities, to train her staff or organize her practice," the decision says.

The law society spokesperson said they were unable to estimate how much money has been spent dealing with complaints against Guo.

Guo had been under the supervision of another lawyer beginning in 2017, until she received a one-year suspension in March for her role in the bookkeeper's theft.

The latest decision from the law society relates to Guo's actions between 2012 and 2017, while she was representing a client trying to come to Canada using an immigration investment scheme through the B.C. Provincial Nominee Program.

The hearing panel found that Guo committed misconduct by misappropriating a total of about $43,000 meant for trust accounts and improperly handling another $378,000 of the client's investment funds by failing to follow the proper transaction and billing procedures.

The decision also says that she failed to provide the level of service expected of a competent lawyer by preparing documents filled with errors and failing to offer proper advice about the client's obligations.

A hearing on the penalty in that case is set for January 2024.