Vernon lawyer David Leslie Schaefer prohibited from practicing law for five years

Vernon lawyer David Leslie Schaefer has resigned from the Law Society and agreed not to practice law for a minimum of five years after admitting professional misconduct.

In a proposal under Rule 4-29 of the Law Society Rules, Schaefer admitted to committing multiple instances of professional misconduct in relation to real estate and mortgage transactions. In 2007, Schaefer acted in a conflict of interest when providing legal services to a client in a real estate transaction that he had a personal interest in. In 2013, Shaefer then made false and misleading claims to Canadian Western Trust regarding a mortgage on the same property.

In making its decision, the Discipline Committee took into consideration a letter to the Chair of the Discipline Committee and an Agreed Statement of Facts.

Schaefer has agreed not to apply for re-instatement to the Law Society or elsewhere within Canada for a period of five years commencing on February 6, 2025, among other conditions.

Read the full 4-29 proposal here.