Decade-long discipline saga involving P.A. lawyer appears over

Peter V. Abrametz and the Law Society of Saskatchewan have been fighting since 2012, but now it appears it’s over.

The investigation started over irregularities in the use of a trust account. The day before the investigators were due to go to his office, Abrametz Sr. reported himself to the law society, saying he had failed to promptly deposit more than $36,000 in fees to his office account.

The investigation related to eight transactions, including ones where Abrametz manipulated payments from clients to himself, getting around reporting laws. In one transaction he had three cheques issued to a false name, which he signed and cashed. There was also a tax avoidance investigation running at the same time.

Abrametz also was found to have loaned or advanced money to clients relating to settlement funds when he had a conflict. He charged them a 30 per cent fee on the money advanced, plus a 30 per cent contingency fee and interest.

He was found guilty of conduct unbecoming a lawyer.

Originally, the discipline committee wanted to disbar Abrametz and have him pay costs of $58,645.24, which documents showed was less than what was actually spent.

There were appeals launched as the situation bounced between committees and courts, even going to the Supreme Court of Canada at one point.

Ultimately, the case was sent back to the law society to re-consider the penalty and cost decisions.

A hearing was held in February, and the decision came down two weeks later.

Abrametz is being allowed to resign his membership with the law society, which is needed to practise in Saskatchewan, and has already paid costs of $25,000.