Following up on the session at our recent solo and small firm conference on anti-money laundering rules and client identification, we refer you to the recent decision from the British Columbia Court of Appeal in Gregory v. The Law Society of British Columbia, 2024 BCCA 350 (CanLII).
Gregory appealed from the Law Society’s hearing panel decision finding him guilty of professional misconduct on two grounds: first that he failed to make reasonable inquiries when there were circumstances that should have raised suspicions that his clients were engaged in money laundering; and second, that he failed to make reasonable efforts to obtain adequate information identifying his clients. Gregory’s appeal on the money laundering finding was dismissed but his appeal on the client identification conviction was allowed.