Solicitor Disciplinary Tribunal Decisions

Details for James (Seamus) G Doody

Name

James (Seamus) G Doody

Address

Doody Solicitors, 21 South Mall, Cork

Date of Order

25/07/2016

Decision

In the matter of James (Seamus) G Doody, practising as a partner in Doody Solicitors, 21 South Mall, Cork, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2011 [6285/DT105/14, 6285/DT105/13, 6285/DT187/13 and High Court record no 2016/79 SA]

Law Society of Ireland (applicant)

James (Seamus) G Doody (respondent solicitor)

6285/DT105/14

On 1 December 2015, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal found the respondent solicitor guilty of misconduct in his practice as a solicitor in that, at the date of the referral of the matter to the tribunal, he had:

1)   Failed to comply in a timely manner or at all with one or more of the following undertakings: undertaking in respect of a named client dated 12 March 2001, undertaking in respect to a named client dated 13 July 1999, undertaking in respect of named clients dated 18 June 2009,

2)   Failed to comply with a direction of the applicant’s Complaints and Client Relations Committee on 25 April 2013 to provide a progress report to the applicant in respect of the first and/or second of the aforementioned undertakings,

3)   Failed to respond adequately or at all to correspondence from the complainant bank in respect of one or more of the aforementioned undertakings,

4)   Failed to respond adequately or at all to correspondence from the applicant in respect of one or more of the aforementioned undertakings.

6285/DT05/13

On 25 February 2016, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal found the respondent solicitor guilty of misconduct in his practice as a solicitor in that, up to the date of referral of the matter to the tribunal, he had:

1)   Failed to comply with his undertaking dated 30 August 2006 to the named complainant lending institution in a timely manner or at all,

2)   Failed to reply to some of the correspondence sent to him by the applicant either in a timely manner or at all.

6285/DT187/13

On 25 February 2016, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal found the respondent solicitor guilty of misconduct in his practice as a solicitor, in that he had:

1)   Failed to comply with a solicitor’s undertaking dated 16 December 2005 up to the date of the swearing of the applicant’s grounding affidavit,

2)   Failed to reply to multiple correspondence from the applicant,

3)   Failed to comply with a direction of the applicant’s Complaints and Client Relations Committee on 26 July 2012 that he furnish a full update in respect of all developments,

4)   Seriously prejudiced a client of the complainant solicitor, in that his failure to comply with his undertaking contributed to that client losing the sale of the property concerned,

5)   Failed to attend a meeting of the aforementioned committee on 7 February 2013, despite being required to do so.

The tribunal referred the aforementioned matters to the High Court and, on 25 July 2016, it was ordered by the High Court that:

1)   The respondent solicitor not be permitted to practise as a sole practitioner or in partnership; that he be permitted only to practise as an assistant solicitor, in the employment and under the direct control and supervision of another solicitor of at least ten years’ standing, to be approved in advance by the applicant (a stay was placed on this aspect of the order until 9 September 2016 or such earlier date as may be agreed between the applicant and the respondent solicitor),

2)   The respondent solicitor pay a contribution of €3,750 to the applicant’s costs, including witness expenses before the tribunal in respect of the second and third of the aforementioned proceedings,

3)   The respondent solicitor pay a contribution of €3,750 to the applicant’s costs before the tribunal in respect of the first of the aforementioned proceedings,

4)   The respondent solicitor pay a contribution of €1,500 to the applicant’s costs before the High Court.