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by Mike Caswell

Vancouver securities lawyer Sam Cole has lost another legal battle with the Law Society of British Columbia over a suspension he received for professional misconduct with respect to a private placement from 2014. The Law Society said that Mr. Cole advised a client on a way to get around an insider restriction, having the client buy stock through an account in the name of his then-girlfriend. The case saw considerable back-and-forth, with the Law Society eventually ordering Mr. Cole to serve a six-month suspension.

The defeat for Mr. Cole is contained in a decision that the Court of Appeal for British Columbia released on Nov. 27, 2025. The decision upholds the six-month suspension (which the Law Society imposed after rejecting an earlier sanction that would have involved a four-month suspension and a $20,000 fine). Three appeal court judges have found that there was no error with the legal analysis that led to the suspension.

As with most appeal court decisions, the loss is heavily rooted in legalese. Mr. Cole had argued in favour of a shorter suspension, expressing concern about the effect on his law practice and his clients. He explained that he was a junior lawyer at the time of his misconduct and was working at a small firm with little support or guidance. He has since worked hard to rehabilitate himself and is at a larger firm where he is well supported, he said.

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