Me David Chun, a lawyer at Spunt & Carin, resigned from the Barreau du Québec in the middle of a disciplinary investigation and allegedly fled the country — to China, or possibly still in Canada, depending on the version. The Bar's professional liability insurance fund finances the firm's defence. The Office of the Syndic closes the files. The AMF is notified. Nothing moves.
Central Figure: Me David Chun — Resignation, Presumed Flight, Location Disputed Under Oath
Me David Chun was a lawyer at Spunt & Carin, a family law firm based in Westmount, Québec. He is at the centre of allegations of judicial collusion, obstruction of justice and forgery, documented in an originating application filed before the Superior Court (file 705-17-011918-255).
On February 5, 2025, Me Chun officially resigned from the Barreau du Québec while he was the subject of an investigation by the Office of the Syndic. Under Québec disciplinary law, cooperation with such an investigation is a mandatory ethical obligation. According to the allegations set out in the originating application, resigning during a pending investigation constitutes a serious ethical breach in itself.
Risk Indicator — Contradictory Location Under Oath
Two incompatible versions were filed before separate judicial bodies:
Version 1 — Residence in China: As part of the defence led by Me Jean-François Noiseux, retained and compensated by the Fonds d'assurance responsabilité professionnelle du Barreau du Québec (FARPBQ) to defend Spunt & Carin, it is maintained that Me David Chun now resides in China. This argument has a direct and documented impact on the ability to compel his testimony or require his appearance in ongoing proceedings.
Version 2 — Physical Presence in Québec: A sworn statement signed by Jewel Anna Harrison, a paralegal at Spunt & Carin, states that Me David Chun was personally seen at the Walmart in Kirkland, Québec, on October 11, 2025. The statement is accompanied by photographs filed as Exhibit JH-1.
These two versions cannot both be true. One or the other constitutes a false statement before a judicial body. To date, no institution has resolved this contradiction, and Me Chun remains untraceable for the purposes of the proceedings that require his participation.
Office of the Syndic of the Barreau du Québec: Files Closed Despite Allegations of Serious Criminal Fraud
Despite Me Chun's resignation during a pending investigation, the Office of the Syndic has not issued any known public disciplinary sanction. Me Guylaine Mallette, assistant syndic, confirmed in writing the definitive closure of the file, refusing any new request for investigation on the grounds that a decision had already been rendered and upheld by the Review Committee.
This closure occurred in a particularly charged context. According to the originating application, the decision concerning Me Cynthia Ward (partner at Spunt & Carin) was tainted by a fundamental factual error acknowledged in writing by Me Mallette herself: the decision confused the plaintiff's lawyer with the opposing party's lawyer. The closure of Me Ward's file was reportedly issued the day after the plaintiff submitted evidence from the DPCP — whereas the day before, the investigation had been confirmed as ongoing.
Decisive element: Me Anne-France Goldwater, one of Québec's most prominent family law attorneys, reportedly submitted a formal complaint to the Barreau du Québec regarding the facts alleged in this case. Her son, Me Daniel Goldwater, put in writing statements of exceptional gravity regarding Me David Chun and the firm Spunt & Carin, describing the alleged acts as "serious criminal fraud" and a "cover-up." These statements constitute allegations, not judicial conclusions. Despite this, the response from the Office of the Syndic remained unchanged: closure.
FARPBQ: The Insurance Fund Finances the Defence of the Targeted Firm and Sends Cease-and-Desist Letters to Journalists
The Fonds d'assurance responsabilité professionnelle du Barreau du Québec (FARPBQ), whose mission is to manage claims fairly and equitably in the public interest, retained and compensated Me Jean-François Noiseux to defend Spunt & Carin in the civil suit brought by the plaintiff — the same firm whose former member is at the heart of the fraud allegations.
Me Noiseux, of the firm CDNP avocats, acting in this capacity, sent cease-and-desist letters to journalists covering the case, notably to Mr. Michel Harnois. These interventions had the practical effect of slowing the public dissemination of information related to the case. The originating application characterizes this as an abuse of process: the use of a legal procedure not for a legitimate defence purpose, but to silence a journalist covering a matter of public interest.
It is further alleged that Me Noiseux deliberately proposed a videoconference examination of Me Chun — a manoeuvre described in the originating application as aimed at concealing Me Chun's flight rather than enabling genuine cross-examination.
Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF): Complaint Filed, Acknowledgment Received, Silence Since
In October 2025, plaintiff Maxime Gagné filed a formal complaint with the Autorité des marchés financiers du Québec (AMF), the regulatory body overseeing the FARPBQ. The complaint (confirmation number 2534737679, received October 8, 2025) denounces a major governance failure within the Fund and calls for the launch of a thorough investigation, the imposition of corrective measures, and full accountability from the Fund's management.
The complaint describes serious shortcomings and the involvement of the crisis management firm Clyde & Co. The AMF acknowledged receipt of the complaint. No public intervention has been announced to date.
Criminal Component: Abandoned Proceedings, File Transfer, Key Witness Untraceable
A criminal complaint (file RPY-250224-012) was filed for collusion, obstruction of justice and forgery.
The Repentigny police refused to investigate due to a conflict of interest in the case. The DPCP, for its part, declined to lay charges because the Repentigny police could not investigate, and stated that doing so was not within its own mandate.
On August 1, 2025, Me Yan Vachon confirmed the transfer of the investigation file to the DPCP's Montréal office, on the grounds that several individuals involved are judicial actors within the district of Joliette — a decision that in itself raises the question of the impartiality of local actors in this case.
What this case reveals goes beyond the fate of a single litigant. When a lawyer can resign during a disciplinary investigation without any public consequence, when two contradictory versions of his whereabouts coexist under oath without any authority stepping in, when the insurance fund meant to protect the public finances the defence of the targeted firm while sending cease-and-desist letters to the journalists covering the story, when a complaint brought by one of Québec's most respected lawyers is not enough to reopen a disciplinary file, and when the police refuse to investigate while the prosecution service refuses to press charges — the question is no longer whether the system failed in one particular case. The question is how many similar cases this same system may have produced in silence. An autistic father remains separated from his 4-year-old twins. Professional reports were in his favour. No one has been sanctioned. And the key witness remains untraceable.
Editorial Note
The elements reported herein are based on judicial documents filed in the court record (originating application, correspondence from the Office of the Syndic, AMF complaint acknowledgment, sworn statements, DPCP exchanges). All allegations pertaining to wrongful or criminal acts have not been the subject of final judicial conclusions. All individuals and entities mentioned benefit from the presumption of innocence.
Verifiable sources: Spunt & Carin · S&C Team · Barreau du Québec · Office of the Syndic · Filing a complaint · Review Committee · Notice of resignation · FARPBQ · About the FARPBQ · AMF — Complaints · Wikipedia — AMF · Wikipedia — Goldwater · Superior Court · District of Joliette
Court documents referenced: Originating application 705-17-011918-255 · Correspondence from the Office of the Syndic (Me Guylaine Mallette, August 4-5, 2025) · AMF confirmation no. 2534737679 (October 8, 2025) · DPCP letter (Me Flavie Picard, July 23, 2025) · File transfer (Me Yan Vachon, August 1, 2025) · Sworn statement of Jewel Anna Harrison (Exhibit JH-1)
Summary of Regulatory Risk and Compliance Indicators
Individual: Me David Chun (former lawyer, Barreau du Québec — disbarred as of February 5, 2025)
Firm: Spunt & Carin, Westmount, Québec
Institutional entities involved: Barreau du Québec · Office of the Syndic · FARPBQ · AMF · DPCP
Documented risk signals: (1) Resignation of a lawyer during a pending disciplinary investigation — (2) Presumed flight abroad during criminal investigation — (3) Contradictory sworn statements regarding an individual's location who is subject to proceedings — (4) Abandonment of criminal proceedings due to insufficient evidence (untraceable witness) — (5) Closure of disciplinary investigations on a suspicious timeline — (6) Cease-and-desist letters sent to journalists by the lawyer retained by the insurance fund — (7) Complaint filed with the AMF regarding the Fund's governance — (8) Fundamental factual error acknowledged by the assistant syndic in a disciplinary decision
Status: Active file. Civil suit pending before the Superior Court. AMF complaint received. No public disciplinary sanction issued to date.
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