A Toronto real estate lawyer who admitted to embezzling from homebuyers and sellers in southern Ontario going back as much as a decade was disbarred Friday afternoon in a law society hearing.
Singa Bui’s licence to practise law was revoked following a three-hour-long hearing in which the Law Society of Ontario presented more than 2,000 pages of evidence, which she did not contest, that Bui repeatedly dipped into her firm’s trust account to steal millions of dollars of client money and even forged bank records in a way that hid the theft.
Bui has previously admitted she spent the money on decorating her family’s two homes, luxury clothing and jewelry, private school tuition for her children, and vacations, among other things.
She was “found to have committed the most serious financial misconduct a lawyer could be engaged in, and breached her core obligations to act with honour and integrity,” law society lawyer Chad Skinner told the hearing.
“She has committed misappropriation against 13 separate clients, to the staggering amount of over $12 million. These funds have been used to fund a lavish lifestyle for Ms. Bui and her family, including purchasing luxury goods and travel.”
Bui did not attend the virtual hearing. Her lawyer Nadia Liva offered no evidence in rebuttal and didn’t contest any of the law society’s submissions, except to ask for a reduced costs order against Bui of $50,000.
