A hearing panel of the Law Society of B.C. has ordered that Vancouver lawyer Nathan Sutha Ganapathi be suspended two months for professional misconduct, effective May 1.

The panel found that Ganapathi had committed professional misconduct by using improper means in attempting to resolve litigation in favour of his clients. This involved participating in a strategy that included sending a letter to the Director of Child, Family and Community Services that threatened to expose alleged perjury by representatives of the director, unless the director agreed to settle the litigation as his clients wished.

In determining disciplinary action, the panel considered the seriousness of the misconduct, Ganapathi’s prior professional conduct record that involved conduct reviews, and the need to ensure the public’s confidence in the integrity of the profession.

The hearing panel’s decision on facts and determination is available here and the hearing panel’s decision on disciplinary action is available here.