Lawyers struck off rolls

Press, 26 December 1979, Page 15

Lawyers struck off rolls

PA Wellington The secretary-general of the New Zealand Law Society (Mr M. Rodgers) said yesterday that the disciplinary committee of I the society had struck the ; names of two lawyers off i the Roils of Barristers ! and Solicitors at the December meeting of the ! committee. Leonard Abercrombie, of ’ Auckland, admitted I charges of professional misconduct connected with I mismanagement of his trust account. Mr Rodgers | said in a statement. The statement said the I committee found that from I February. 1979. to October, 1979, Abercrombie transferred funds from his trust account to his private bank account so that on various occasions during the period his float account was overdrawn at the expense of his client’s trust balances. This deficiency had gone as high as $47,962 on September 2" 1979, the statement said. The second lawyer whose name was struck off the rolls was John Thomas Foote, of Tauranga. Foote had already beer convicted in respect I of eight changes when he i appeared before the disciplinary committee, Mr Rodgers said. Through his counsel, he admitted the charges and was found guilty of professional misconduct.