A Vernon lawyer who has gotten himself into some trouble with the Law Society of BC has announced his retirement. 

In a letter obtained by The Morning Star, North Valley Law announced that Leonard Hil Marriott will be retiring from practice. 

"We would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his commitment and contributions to the legal profession and our clients over the years," said the law firm, which is owned by Marriott. 

Leonard has been disciplined by the Law Society on multiple occasions, and the Law Society still has at least one outstanding discipline matter related to his conduct. 

In December 2024, Marriott was into into his trust account after a Law Society panel found he had committed professional misconduct when he withdrew the funds, and also when he mishandled the execution of a will. The panel said Marriott's evidence and testimony about the matter confirmed he "did not appear to know the general principles and procedures in his practice area." 

In February he was , this time after he knowingly filed false information to the courts about an elderly client's estate, and submitted documents related to a straightforward property transfer that were riddled with mistakes.

The Law Society confirmed to The Morning Star that Marriott still faces some potential disciplinary action. It said a hearing regarding an unknown conduct matter was adjourned on March 17, and an update on the matter is expected in the next few weeks. In light of Marriott's retirement, the Law Society said it retains jurisdiction over former members "and can continue to address the conduct at issue if it occurred during the time they were practicing." 

It's unclear when exactly Marriott will retire from his practice; a member of his staff declined to confirm his official retirement date with The Morning Star. 

The letter from his law firm says all of his client matters will be transferred to Vernon's Kidston Helm Ross Lawyers LLP. 

"We are confident that (Kidston Helm Ross) will continue to meet your legal needs with professionalism and expertise," reads the letter. "We wish Leonard a happy and fulfilling retirement and look forward to ensuring you receive the best legal care through Kidston Helm Ross Lawyers LLP."

Though he was admitted as a member of the Law Society more than 30 years ago, Marriott has relatively little experience as a practicing lawyer. In all, he has only practiced law for about three years, with a gap of about 23 years from when he was first qualified to practice, according to a previous Law Society decision.