Auckland lawyer Aaron Nicholls has been struck off the roll of barristers and solicitors for misappropriating over $700,000 of client funds. The Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal made this decision after Nicholls failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the missing money.
Nicholls, who was suspended earlier this year due to client complaints about missing funds, admitted to the tribunal that he couldn't account for the money's whereabouts. He denied personally benefiting from the funds, stating he hadn't used the money for drugs, boats, or gambling.
The tribunal found that Nicholls had made unauthorized transactions totaling over $700,000 from his trust account since November 2017 and provided false statements to clients to conceal his actions. The Law Society's fidelity fund has already paid out $400,000 to six claimants, with three additional claims totaling $224,000.
Despite Nicholls expressing remorse, the tribunal found his apology unconvincing without a proper explanation for his actions. In addition to being struck off, Nicholls was ordered to pay $36,000 in legal costs.