New Zealand lawyer struck off after recruitment scam

A legal recruiter in New Zealand, who was found guilty of swindling his employer out of NZ$105k (£54.8k), has been struck off as a lawyer by the New Zealand Court of Appeal.
Wed, 7 Jan 2015A legal recruiter in New Zealand, who was found guilty of swindling his employer out of NZ$105k (£54.8k), has been struck off as a lawyer by the New Zealand Court of Appeal.

According to The New Zealand Herald, Shane Burton was a registered lawyer who was acting as a recruiter specialising in placing legal candidates.

In 2012, he was arrested as he tried to leave the country and later pleaded guilty to four charges of obtaining by deception.

The charges related to placements he made with law firms for which he made false invoices. He personally received over $105k that was meant to go to his employer.

The sentencing judge described Burton's offending as "major, calculated and reasonably cunning".

He was ordered to pay $105k in reparations and to serve six months' home detention.

He has now been struck off the roll of barristers and solicitors following an application by the New Zealand Law Society.

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