A reprimand and $10,000 fine have been handed to a Baulkham Hills solicitor who borrowed funds from a client.
John Francis Thomas Mahony, founder of Mahony Law in Baulkham Hills, was found to have engaged in unsatisfactory professional conduct, according to the NSW Office of the Legal Services Commissioner’s (OLSC) Register of Disciplinary Action.
The Council of the Law Society of NSW imposed a $10,000 fine, a reprimand, and an order that he complete further ethics education.
Mahony was also given three months to provide a written apology to the complainant, a former client, in a form that has been approved by the director under the Legal Profession Uniform Law.
One of the four allegations against Mahony set out that he had borrowed funds from the client.
Mahony was also alleged to have failed to provide a costs agreement or disclosure, and withdrew trust funds for the payment of legal costs incurred in representing the client. Both allegations were a breach of the Legal Profession Act 2004.
The register noted Mahony also allegedly failed to properly account for monies received on trust on behalf of the complainant.
According to the Mahony Law website, Mahony “prides himself on his ‘black letter’ law abilities”, as well as his commercial abilities.
Mahony’s expertise covers commercial and corporate law, commercial property, franchising advice and structuring, securities advice, local government advice, and commercial litigation.
Prior to establishing his own practice, Mahony was a partner of Michell Sillar, Abbott Tout, and HWL Ebsworth.
Other recent disciplinary action included the refusal to grant a practising certificate to Chanaka Senanayake for the year ending 30 June 2025 and the reappointment of a manager to Brendan James Pigott’s practice for a period of two years.
Naomi Neilson is a senior journalist with a focus on court reporting for Lawyers Weekly.
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