Deborah Bowes, lawyer, rebuked for not reporting cash payments

A lawyer based in Windsor has been reprimanded for taking cash payments, not recording the transactions and not reporting the income to the Canada Revenue Agency.

The Nova Scotia Barristers' Society announced the discipline against Deborah Bowes in a decision posted on the society's website on Friday.

Bowes has been a lawyer for more than 21 years, and is one of two lawyers in the Windsor firm How Lawrence White Bowes.

Nova Scotia RCMP contacted the society after police launched an investigation into allegations of theft — made by the law firm — against an employee. During the course of the investigation, the employee told RCMP that lawyers in the firm had themselves been engaged in misconduct.

RCMP Sgt. Al Leblanc said the police investigation is continuing.

The bar society launched its own investigation last summer and ordered a financial audit of the law firm's books.

Bowes was interviewed during the audit conducted by Thornton. According to the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society's report, Bowes admitted to auditors that she had, on occasion, received cash payments from clients and failed to record this income in the firm's books.

In one case, Bowes said she split a $3,000 payment with the other lawyer in the firm, James White.

Bowes also admitted that no HST was charged on these cash payments and the income was not reported to the Canada Revenue Agency.

The Nova Scotia Barristers' Society determined that violated the code of professional conduct.

In addition to a reprimand, Bowes is not allowed to employ an article clerk for the next three years.

James White is facing a disciplinary hearing before a committee of the barristers' society later this month. White is accused of professional misconduct for his handling of a client's estate.

The executive director of the barristers' society, Darrell Pink, confirmed the allegations against White stem from the same RCMP information.