Solicitor Disciplinary Tribunal Decisions

Introduction

Welcome to the Irish Claims Board’s solicitor disciplinary records page. We believe that understanding solicitor conduct is crucial for anyone navigating the claims process. Remember, the Irish Claims Board offers a free assessment on claims—we should be your first port of call before engaging a solicitor. Our expert team is here to provide clear, unbiased advice, empowering you to make informed decisions without cost or commitment. This page highlights disciplinary records to help you stay aware of solicitor conduct and choose trustworthy professionals when needed.

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Details for Gerard Corcoran

Name

Gerard Corcoran

Address

James H Powell & Son, Solicitors, at East Green, Dunmanway, Co Cork

Date of Order

11/01/2010

Decision

In the matter of Gerard Corcoran, a solicitor previously carrying on practice as James H Powell & Son, Solicitors, at East Green, Dunmanway, Co Cork, and in the matter of the

Solicitors Acts 1954 to 2008 [5559/DT22/09 and High Court record 2009 no 110SA]

Law Society of Ireland (applicant)
Gerard Corcoran (respondent solicitor)

On 17 November 2009, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal found the respondent solicitor guilty of misconduct in his practice as a solicitor in that he:
a) Caused or allowed a deficit of €340,645 to occur on the client account as of 31 July 2008,
b) Failed to maintain proper books of account, with the result that the books of account did not show the true clients’ funds position as of 31 July 2008,
c) Misappropriated clients’ money totalling €337,962 as of 31 July 2008,
d) Concealed his misappropriation of clients’ money through teeming and lading in the books of account,
e) Initially denied that he had borrowed or taken clients’ money (before subsequently going on to disclose that he had misappropriated clients’ money),
f) Incorrectly took client’s money of €96,500 from a named client’s ledger account to another client’s ledger account where it helped to partly clear a debit balance of €152,495.10 on another client’s ledger account and, as a result, left a shortfall of €96,500 on the named client’s ledger account,
g) Subsequently incorrectly took the sum of €93,816.69 from another named client’s ledger account and used it to clear part of the shortfall on the client ledger account of the client mentioned at (f),
h) Incorrectly caused a debit balance of €81,013.08 on the client’s ledger account mentioned at (g) when he transferred the above sum of €93,816.69 therefrom,
i) Caused transfers to be made between accounts in the clients’ ledger without maintaining supporting documents to enable the transfers to be appropriately vouched, in breach of the regulations,
j) Caused entries in the books of accounts to be backdated from March 2008 to October 2007, with the result that a debit balance of approximately €337,000 on the ledger account of a named client was concealed.

The tribunal ordered the Society to bring the matter forward to the High Court and, on Monday 11 January 2010, the President of the High Court ordered:
1) That the respondent solicitor should not be permitted to practise as a sole practitioner or in partnership, that he be permitted only to practise as an assistant solicitor or consultant 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 Law Society of Ireland,
2) That the Law Society do recover the costs of the proceedings in the High Court and the costs of the proceedings before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, to include witness expenses as against the respondent when taxed or ascertained.