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A summary of recent court decisions involving NSW solicitors.

Court of Appeal

Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of New South Wales v Gow [2025] NSWCA 232

On 23 October 2025, the New South Wales Court of Appeal published a decision in proceedings that the Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of New South Wales (Prothonotary) commenced against Ms Samantha Gow.

The Prothonotary sought a declaration that Ms Gow is not a fit and proper person to remain on the roll of legal practitioners (Roll) and an order that Ms Gow’s name be removed from the Roll.

In making the application the Prothonotary relied on various matters including that Ms Gow:

  1. was convicted in 2014 in Queensland for breaching a bail undertaking, being drunk in a public space and committing a public nuisance;
  2. failed between 2016 and 2017 to comply with an undertaking to the Law Society of New South Wales to complete a Practice Management Course;
  3. a finding in 2018 of dishonest act or omission resulting in a claim against the Fidelity Fund;
  4. falsely held herself out as a solicitor in Queensland and New South Wales in 2018;
  5. was convicted in 2021 in Queensland for forging and uttering court documents;
  6. breached a bail condition in 2021;
  7. convicted for assaulting her mother in 2023; and
  8. convicted of driving offences in 2024 in Victoria.

The Court declared Ms Gow is not a fit and proper person to remain on the Roll and made orders that her name be removed from the Roll and pay the Prothonotary’s costs or the proceedings.

The Council of the Law Society of New South Wales v Chalabian [2025] NSWCA 255

On 28 November 2025, the New South Wales Court of Appeal (Court) published its judgment in proceedings that the Council of the Law Society of New South Wales (Council) commenced against Mr Sevag Chalabian.

In April 2022, Mr Chalabian was found guilty of one count of money laundering (dealing with money or property that was, and that he believed to be, the proceeds of crime, to the value of $1 million or more) contrary to section 400.3(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth) and Mr Chalabian was subsequently sentenced to a period of twelve years’ imprisonment, with a no-parole period of seven years and six months.

On the basis of that convicted conduct, Council sought:

  1. a declaration that Mr Chalabian is not a fit and proper person to remain on the roll of Australian lawyers maintained by the Supreme court of New South Wales in accordance with s 22 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) (Roll);
  2. an order that the name of Sevag Chalabian be removed from the Roll; and
  3. an order that Mr Chalabian pay the Council’s costs of the proceedings.

The Supreme Court determined that Mr Sevag was presently unfit, and likely to be unfit in the indefinite future, to practise as a lawyer and made the orders sought by Council.