Note: As with many legal disciplinary cases in Canada, publication bans and confidentiality provisions (particularly involving the Law Society Tribunal) can limit the release of specific client names and certain financial details. This article synthesizes the available findings from the Law Society of Ontario, court files, and investigative journalism. By: Legal Affairs Correspondent Date: April 17, 2026
For nearly two decades, William Roger Netley was a fixture in Toronto’s mid-tier legal community. Operating out of a modest office on Yonge Street, he presented himself as a tenacious litigator—the kind of lawyer you hired when a landlord dispute, a contract breach, or a family crisis threatened to upend your life. Rachel Netley And Her Husband Disbarred Toronto Lawyer
But the most damaging testimony came from a former client—let’s call her “M.T.”—who alleged that Netley had not only stolen from her but had also involved his non-lawyer wife, Rachel, in a scheme to cover his tracks. Rachel Netley, 48, is not a lawyer. Public records list her as a former office manager and, more recently, as the proprietor of a small home-decor business in the Beaches neighborhood. By all accounts, she had no formal legal training. Yet according to the Law Society’s Notice of Application (filed October 2024), she played a critical role in her husband’s misconduct. Note: As with many legal disciplinary cases in
Law Society of Ontario Tribunal Decisions (2024-2025); Ontario Superior Court docket CV-24-007123; interviews with LSO spokesperson Janice Quigley (Dec. 2025); client testimony transcripts (redacted). Operating out of a modest office on Yonge