Nice to see her getting her comeuppance.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports
A lawyer who collected more than $654,000 for various legal challenges to COVID-19 vaccine mandates has asked supporters to stop requesting refunds and making complaints after the money was seized by the legal watchdog.
Former solicitor Serene Teffaha, who filed a class action lawsuit over the mandatory lockdown of nine public housing towers in Melbourne, had her licence cancelled by the Victorian Legal Services Board in April after the fundraising.
In a message posted to the site of her law firm, Ms Teffaha told supporters that she no longer had access to the money she collected after it was seized by the legal watchdog and put under the management of commercial law firm Hall & Wilcox.
The message also announced the filing of two lawsuits in NSW challenging vaccine mandates and the intention to file a suit on behalf of young people who experienced side effects from their vaccination.
“Whilst we have discussed the option of a refund, which has subsequently been blocked by the VLSB; we would appreciate that none of you will make any further complaints on this issue and to accept what we are proposing,” Ms Teffaha posted on her law firm’s website.
Ms Teffaha told supporters that if they wanted to get their money back they would be forced to initiate their own recovery action against the board or Hall & Wilcox.
“We trust that you understand that we must take this position, in order to further the class actions that you signed up for; as we cannot afford to burden the collective processes for all,” she said.
Ms Teffaha told The Age the legal services board and Hall & Wilcox were “unlawfully” holding the money.
“Some of the clients of Advocate Me have asked for refunds from me directly and I have told them that I have no power to issue them refunds. I have told them that I don’t control the accounts anymore. If they are upset and angry about that, they need to pursue the matter personally,” she said.
