Bobroffs suspension raised at 'striking off' hearing

Remove personal injury lawyers Ronald Bobroff and his son Darren from the roll of attorneys. This was the plea by Advocate David Unterhalter SC on behalf of Jennifer and Matthew Graham, who claimed they had been short-changed by the Bobroffs and their Johannesburg firm, Ronald Bobroff & Partners. A Cape Times report notes the Grahams turned to the High Court to ask that the Bobroffs be struck off the roll. But the Law Society of the Northern Provinces (LSNP) objected, saying it was the legitimate body to launch such an application. Advocate Wim Trengove SC, on behalf of the LSNP, told Judges Tati Makgoka and Mahomed Ismail it had subsequently also launched proceedings to have the Bobroffs removed from the roll (see links to LSNP papers below). The Grahams, however, said they decided to launch this application as the law society had dragged its heels in dealing with the Bobroffs. Unterhalter said the Grahams had complained for the first time five years ago about the Bobroffs’ conduct. In 2006, Matthew suffered serious injuries in a car accident. The Bobroffs took on his case and charged a contingency fee of 40% of the money recovered from the Road Accident Fund. The couple said they received only a fraction of the money. While the Grahams are asking for the Bobroffs to be summarily struck off, Unterhalter said they would settle for the Bobroffs being suspended from practising, and a curator being appointed to investigate and manage their case files. Trengove said he would abide by such an order as it would be unfair to not give the Bobroffs the opportunity to defend themselves. Judgment has been reserved.

All the relevant documents in connection with the LSNP's striking off application are now available on the Legalbrief Today site. The LSNP is also seeking to have the Bobroffs partner, Stephen Derek Bezuidenhout, struck off the roll of attorneys. Among other things, the LSNP has asked that the trio be prohibited from handling or operating their trust accounts and that a curator bonis be appointed ‘to administer and control’ their trust accounts. The Bobroffs have five days to notify the LSNP of their intention to oppose the action and 15 days to deliver an answering affidavit.