An investigation into potential fraud against a 74-year-old pensioner has led to the arrest of former solicitor and La Trobe University Lecturer, James Andrew McConvill, who reportedly received $450,000 from the woman’s bank and superannuation accounts.
The affair has also caused the Federal Court to refer the pensioner’s former lawyer, Sean McNally to the Legal Professional Board of Tasmania and the Queensland Legal Services Commission for his questionable compliance with his professional and ethical obligations.
These issues arose in the context of an application purportedly made by the elderly pensioner, Beverley Hargraves, to the Federal Court to restore access to her superannuation account held by BT Panorama Superannuation Fund.
BT Funds had been refusing requests made by her lawyer at the time, Sean McNally, to release funds, increase pension payments, and pay his invoices, on the grounds that his authority was unsatisfactory.
An affidavit made by Leeann McNight, BT’s Head of Complaints and Estate & Claim Management, describes how BT Funds identified numerous “red flags” related to Ms Hargreaves’ superannuation account, which suggested that she was “not competent to manage her financial affairs” and that the requests were actually being directed by a person named James Andrew McConvill.
The affidavit of Thomas MacDonald, Detective Senior Constable of Victoria Police, provided further context to these suspicions.
He described how Ms Hargreaves suffered from repeated strokes in early 2024, and that it was shortly after this health crisis that she came into contact with Jim Michael McConvill, who purported to work for an NDIS provider.
Jim then introduced Ms Hargreaves to his son, James Andrew McConvill, who began to “assist” Ms Hargreaves with her day-to-day activities, and aspects of her financial affairs.
However, McConvill had received an astonishing $300,000 from Ms Hargrave’s NAB account since Janurary 2024, and a further $150,000 from her superannuation accounts.
On June 15, 2026, McConvill was arrested by the Financial Crime Squad.
In an unfortunate case of nominative determinism, it appears that this may not have been the only allegedly shifty business that Mr McConvill was involved in.
Himself and his former law shop, James McConvill & Associates, had previously been ordered by the Federal Court to pay backpay former paralegal-turned-solicitor $157,000.
More recently, on September 18, 2026 the Victorian Legal Services Board & Commissioner issued a warning that a former lawyer, Dr James Andrew McConvill who has not held a practicing certificate since 2023, is purporting to perform unauthorised legal work via a business known as “Uplands Dispute Resolution”, which advertises primarily through Facebook.
The warning further notes that McConvill has adopted the identities of “Mr Jim Blasius” and “Professor Mirko Bagaric” whilst providing legal services though Uplands.
Mr Blasius is not an Australian legal practitioner, and Prof Bagaric, although a non-practicing lawyer, did not authorise Mr McConvill to use his identity.
The conduct is currently under investigation by Victoria Police.
Ms Hargrave’s lawyer, Sean McNally has also found himself in hot water with the Legal Professional Board of Tasmania and the Queensland Legal Services Commission.
It appears that the two men are closely linked: McConvill was McNally’s former employer between 2018 and 2021, in the firm James McConvill & Associates.
McNally deposed that the two have remained friends since ceasing to worth together.
However, the affidavit of Detective MacDonald suggests their relationship is perhaps more insidious. McConvill’s phone, obtained via search warrant, includes numerous text messages between the two, relating to Ms Hargreaves’ finances.
In particular, the messages exchanged a few days prior to Ms Hargreaves’ affidavit being signed indicate that it was actually prepared by McConvill himself, who further sought advice from McNally before finalising it.
These unusual circumstances are further clouded by McNally’s confusing place of business. He holds a practicing certificate in Tasmania (although he is not authorised to receive trust monies), and purported to act for Ms Hargreaves from Tasmanian law shop, Storm Bay Law.
However, Detective Senior Constable McDonald deposed that, on an invoice issued to Bank Australia seeking payment from Ms Hargraves’ account for legal services, the firm is listed as ‘Moreton Bay Law Firm’, located in Queensland.
McNally’s affidavit was filed with the email domain name ‘moretonbaylaw’.
McNally does not hold a practising certificate in Queensland, and the office address for this firm is an empty office space. He filed a notice of ceasing to act on 23 July 2026.
Although the affidavits have not been tested in evidence, Michael O’Bryan J of the FCA found that they raised serious questions whether Hargreaves is aware of the proceeding, and McNally’s conduct in purporting to represent her.
Although HH was clear that he does not make any findings about the conduct of McNally in relation to Hargreaves, he noted there are additionally serious questions about his conduct, including his ethical obligations to act only on instructions from his client, maintain his professional independence and integrity, act in his client’s best interests and discharge his paramount duty to the Court and the administration of justice.
Thus, HH referred the matters to the relevant regulatory bureaux.
Hargreaves, for her part, did not appoint a replacement solicitor, or attend the case management hearings. A senior judicial registrar subsequently wrote to inform her of the proceedings, asking if she wished for them to continue.
At the date of orders, no response has been received.