B.C. immigration and real estate lawyer disbarred for 3rd time

A British Columbialawyer who once ran to become mayor of Richmond has again been declared "ungovernable" and disbarred for a third time by a Law Society of B.C. panel.

Hong Guo, an immigration and real estate lawyer based in Richmond, was previouslydisbarred in November 2023 when thelaw societysaidshe was incapable of rehabilitating her professional conduct.

She was disbarred for a second time in February of this year.

Guodid not attend her latest hearing in June of this year,nor did she respond tonumerous attempts by the panelto contact both her and her sister "MG," according to the decision.

In its conclusion, the panel said Guoshowed "repetitive, protracted and serious" misconduct, and "cannot be trusted to be accurate or show any insight into her behaviour."

"After more than a decade of misconduct and wasted opportunities to illustrate reform, it is clear that the Law Society cannot fulfilits statutory mandate to uphold and protect the administration of justice while also maintaining [Guo] as a member," it reads.

She isnot the first lawyer in B.C. to have faced multiple disbarments. In 2022,Aaron Murray Lessingwasdisbarred for a third timeand the law societyacknowledged in the decision that themeasure was largely symbolic.

A 2021 tribunal found Guoenabled a bookkeeper to steal $7.5 million in client trust funds between 2014 and 2016by providing pre-signed blank trust chequesto the bookkeeper when she went on vacation.

The 2021 panel also found she misappropriated other clients' money to replace the missing funds in order to complete real estate transactions.

The most recent law society decision says Guo started practising out of her own law firm in Richmond in 2010.

It says herprofessional conduct recordgoes back to 2012 and notes a long list of citations,professional misconduct findings,disciplinary actions and conduct reviews.

The panel fined Guo $13,000, only a fraction of what it cost to hold the tribunal. That's in addition to two earlier fines levelledby the law society amounting to $93,000.

Ina somewhat related matter, a warrant for Guo's arrest was issued in May of this year after she failed to show up fora contempt of court sentencing hearing related to areal estate lawsuit in which she was a named defendant.

At the hearing, Guo's son,Howard Chen, told B.C. Supreme Court JusticeG.C. Weatherillthat his mother had travelled to Beijing sometime in 2023 to pursue "business opportunities," while also claiming she wassuffering from depression, sleep disorders, and delusion.

The request for adjournment was denied.

Guoran for mayor of Richmond in 2018.