HWL Ebsworth associate in punching and kicking shame
03 August 2012
An HWL Ebsworth associate has been found guilty of assault and handed a suspended sentence after punching and kicking another man outside a pub.

The Northern Territory Supreme Court heard this week that 40 year-old NRL-player-turned-construction associate Julian Troy was drinking in a Sydney pub when he had a fight with a fellow drinker. It's not clear exactly what happened but Troy ended up knocking the victim over before hauling him up by the collar, punching him in the face four times and then kicking him in the head. Delightful.

Another angry Troy yesterday

The unnamed victim finished up with some missing teeth, a broken nose, broken cheek bone and lacerations to his face, according to a Lawyers Weekly report. And Troy has pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, for which he has been handed a year's suspended sentence. But for now, at least, it seems that he's kept his job. A spokesman for HWL Ebsworth confirmed that Troy remained with the firm, saying "the firm doesn't condone violence or Julian's actions; however this matter has now been dealt with by the courts."

And punchy lawyers have sadly been far from rare this year. In the UK, police were called to a punch up between Berwin Leighton Paisner lawyers, and an ex-Pinsents associate has pleaded guilty to ABH after attacking a trainee.