A well-known attorney from the Saint John area is undergoing a disciplinary hearing following a complaint lodged with the Law Society of New Brunswick. The specifics of the complaint against William (Bill) H. Teed of Rothesay have not been disclosed yet. The matter has been forwarded to the discipline committee, as confirmed by Joleen Dable, the registrar of complaints and deputy executive director of the regulatory authority, in a statement to CBC News.
“We are currently in the process of drafting the Notice of Complaint (Form 22), which will outline the accusations,” she mentioned. The timeline for this process is uncertain, but once completed, it will be published on the law society’s official website, with complainants remaining anonymous. Teed will then have 20 days to submit a response, which will also be made public, Dable added.
In the meantime, an interim suspension hearing was conducted by the complaints committee on October 2. Despite Teed being retired, the committee decided not to suspend him but instead imposed a condition, with Teed’s agreement, that he refrain from practicing law. This condition will remain valid until the discipline committee reaches a final decision on the matter, as stated in the notice posted on October 7.
When asked about the necessity of the interim suspension hearing given Teed’s retirement status, the registrar declined to comment on a specific individual while an investigation is ongoing. However, Dable clarified that interim suspension hearings are not held in every instance, with the primary consideration being whether the member’s continued practice of law might pose a risk to the public or clients.
Teed, who was called to the bar in 1978 and previously served as a partner at Cox & Palmer in Saint John, specializing in corporate commercial law, notably represented the Oland family for an extended period. Noteworthy cases included his representation of Dennis Oland during his two trials for the 2011 second-degree murder of his father, Richard Oland, before eventually being acquitted.
As per the law society’s website, once a complaint is referred to the discipline committee, a formal hearing will take place, open to the public. A notice of hearing will be issued once a date is set, with proceedings scheduled based on the availability of all parties involved, including volunteer panel members, per the registrar.
While the date of the complaint filing was not disclosed, it was referred to the complaints committee before July 28, as previously indicated on the website. Typically, when a complaint is lodged, the attorney is given an opportunity to respond, and the complainant may provide additional comments. If the complaint cannot be resolved, the registrar will assess if further investigation is warranted and if the complaint holds merit. Subsequently, the registrar may dismiss the complaint, issue a caution or warning, or refer it to the competence committee, complaints committee, or discipline committee for a final decision.