The Tribunal found the respondent solicitor engaged in unsatisfactory professional conduct by publishing promotional statements on the law practice's website that contravened PIPA advertising restrictions, but imposed only a public reprimand and costs, declining to impose the jointly submitted $4,000 fine given the respondent's unblemished 30-year career and the difficulty of the provisions. Critically, the Tribunal held that 'no win no fee' statements and offers of free initial consultations on a law practice's website fall within the s 66(2)(b)(ii) exception as statements about the conditions under which the practice will provide personal injury services, rejecting the Commissioner's contention that such phrases are mere marketing slogans outside the exception. Statements describing how a client's matter will be handled (e.g. handled by a lawyer not a paralegal, direct telephone access, accredited specialist supervision) similarly fall within the exception. However, purely promotional statements extolling the firm's virtues independently of any retainer conditions remain prohibited.
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