Prominent Edmonton lawyer suspended after alleged financial misconduct

The Alberta Law Society has suspended the membership of a prominent Edmonton lawyer and put his business into custodianship, over allegations of misconduct of his firm's finances.

On Tuesday, the society filed an affidavit against Shawn Allen Beaver and the Shawn Beaver Professional Corporation, which claims Beaver self-reported a "shortfall" in his firm's trust account.

"The shortfall is the result of his conduct, which did not comply with the Society's rules," said the documents.

"The money currently held in the Firm's trust account is not sufficient to meet its trust liabilities."

Beaver will now face proceedings before the society "regarding conduct deserving sanction."

According to the documents, the conduct "involves the lawyer's management of the firm's trust fund and is a matter in which there is reason to believe misappropriation and/or wrongful conversion of property has occurred."

None of these statements has been proven in court.

Also on Tuesday, the Law Society appointed a custodian over Beaver's property and law business, which operated as the criminal defence law firm Beaver, Leebody and Associates in Edmonton.

That firm's website has disappeared from the web, but a cached version paints a glowing picture of the senior litigator in a biography.

It says Beaver graduated from McGill University with First Class Honours, went on to earn an LL.B at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Law — and graduated first in his class.

"With Shawn, there are no surprises and you will receive an honest and frank assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of your case," concludes the write-up.

Beaver has also worked as an instructor at the University of Alberta's law faculty, where he taught a course called Advanced Evidence and coached students on the moot court team.

His name is no longer included on the University of Alberta's list of sessional instructors on the university's website

Representatives of Beaver's firm did not immediately respond to requests for an interview.