“Inappropriate Would Be A Significant Understatement”

An  Alberta Law SocietyHearing Committee found that an attorney had engaged in misconduct in all charged citations except to false information and forgery charges (citation #2)

1)   It is alleged Hardeep S. Sangha acted in an inappropriate manner with his students and employees and that such conduct is deserving of sanction.

2)   It is alleged Hardeep S. Sangha was involved in the false information and forgery contained in a Revocation of Power of Attorney document and that such conduct is deserving of sanction.

3)   It is alleged Hardeep S. Sangha filed a Revocation of Power of Attorney document at the Land Titles Office that he knew was false and that such conduct is deserving of sanction.

4)   It is alleged Hardeep S. Sangha commissioned an Affidavit of Execution he knew to be false and that such conduct is deserving of sanction.

5)   It is alleged Hardeep S. Sangha failed to provide his clients, A.E. and M.E., with thorough, conscientious, and diligent service and that such conduct is deserving of sanction.

6)   It is alleged Hardeep S. Sangha failed to provide his client, S.Co., with thorough, conscientious, and diligent service and that such conduct is deserving of sanction.

7)   It is alleged Hardeep S. Sangha failed to provide his client, B.T., with thorough, conscientious, and diligent service and that such conduct is deserving of sanction.

8)   It is alleged Hardeep S. Sangha provided false information to his client, B.T., regarding the status of her matter and that such conduct is deserving of sanction.

9)   It is alleged Hardeep S. Sangha breached Rule 119.21 of the Rules of the Law Society of Alberta when he withdrew funds from trust prior to sending a billing to the client and that such conduct is deserving of sanction.

Inappropriate behavior

The SOAF and the exhibits entered at the Hearing describe a series of incidents between Mr. Sangha and individual articling students which involving yelling, swearing, making highly inappropriate and personalized comments and demeaning behavior. The SOAF also related similar inappropriate, threatening, intimidating, abusive and highly unprofessional comments to a legal assistant. In both cases, Mr. Sangha was involved in a power imbalance which he exploited in attempting to manipulate or intimidate individual members of his firm.

Exhibit 5.3 contained extensive text exchanges between Mr. Sangha and some of the staff in question, and particularly C.R. While the admissions in the SOAF were very concerning, the details in the text messages provide ample evidence of the particularly erratic behaviour exhibited by Mr. Sangha which shows him vacillating wildly between praise, condemnation and threatening behaviour. Describing these exchanges as inappropriate would be a significant understatement. They are not only unprofessional but shocking in the violent nature of some of the actions Mr. Sangha requested as demonstrations of loyalty.

A hearing will be set for sanction and other pending issues. (Mike Frisch)