Solicitor ordered to pay $131k for misappropriating trust fund By Naomi Neilson|12 January 2021 A Canberra-based director has been ordered to pay $131,205 for misappropriating his practice’s trust account. It is the fourth time he has been involved in similar disciplinary hearings and is the second penalty related to trust account defalcation. Charles Giles, who acted for clients “whose business was in severe financial difficulty”, has been ordered to pay $131,205.38 for misappropriating trust funds while at the time holding an unrestricted practising certificate. In March 2019, his conduct was branded as professional misconduct and, in April 2020, his name was removed from the roll.