The Manitoba Law Society is investigating one of its members after confidential client documents were found blowing in the wind.

Law society CEO Allan Fineblit said lawyer Fred Bortuluzzi is being investigated after a neighbour of his found the confidential documents being scattered by the wind.

Bortuluzzi lives in the Rural Municipality of East St. Paul, on the northeastern outskirts of Winnipeg.

The documents were being stored in a shelter that wasn't properly protected from the elements, Fineblit said.

"This is a matter that is serious because it goes to sort of the fundamental question of whether a client can be confident that the documents that go to a lawyer are looked after in a way that protects their confidentiality," he said. "So that's why we're interested in it."

All of the documents were safely retrieved, Fineblit noted.

There is no timeline for when the investigation must be completed, but if it results in a ruling of professional misconduct, the sanctions range from a fine to the revocation of Bortuluzzi's licence to practice law, Fineblit said.