Australian State Attorney General Rob Hulls is requesting the examination of serious findings of alleged professional misconduct by lawyers involved in a tobacco damages case.

Victorian Attorney-General Rob Hulls will ask the government solicitor to examine serious findings made against lawyers involved in Rolah McCabe’s tobacco damages case.

Mr Hulls said law firm Clayton Utz’s documents appeared to raise serious allegations including dishonesty and professional misconduct.

He said he was in possession of the documents and would refer them for advice to government solicitor John Cain this week.

Clayton Utz’s inquiries, leaked to The Sunday Age, found former managing partner Glenn Eggleton and a former partner for 16 years, Richard Travers, had engaged in serious professional misconduct in the case.

An internal draft memo from the firm’s chief executive partner, David Fagan, dated August 2002, says Mr Eggleton gave evidence in the McCabe case that was “potentially perjurious”.

Clayton Utz represented British American Tobacco Australia Services when it was sued by dying lung cancer victim Mrs McCabe in 2001 and 2002.

Law Institute of Victoria president Catherine Gale said yesterday the matter required full and transparent investigation.

Legal Services Commissioner Victoria Marles does not comment on individual cases but said she had the power to investigate complaints about professional misconduct.

Mr Fagan yesterday said the Victorian Court of Appeal had exonerated Clayton Utz of wrongdoing in the McCabe case.