Disciplinary History

An attorney was summarily suspended from the practice of law in the State of Alabama, pursuant to Rule 20(a), Ala. R. Disc. P., by Order of the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective February 6, 2014. The Supreme Court entered its order based upon the Disciplinary Commission’s Order finding that the attorney had failed to respond to a request for information concerning a disciplinary matter.

An attorney was summarily suspended from the practice of law in the State of Alabama, pursuant to Rule 20(a), Ala. R. Disc. P., by Order of the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective February 6, 2014. The Supreme Court entered its order based upon the Disciplinary Commission’s Order finding that the attorney had failed to respond to a request for information concerning a disciplinary matter.

The attorney was suspended from the practice of law in the State of Alabama by Order of the Supreme Court of Alabama for a period of three (3) years, effective February 6, 2014, the date of the attorney’s prior summary suspension. The Supreme Court entered its Order based upon the Disciplinary Commission’s acceptance of the attorney's Conditional Guilty Plea, wherein the attorney pled guilty to numerous charges that involved having insufficient funds in his trust account, failing to adequately and timely communicate with his client in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition, issuing an unemployment compensation tax check directly from his trust account, failing to adequately communicate with his client in an adoption and an estate case, failing to diligently represent a client and adequately communicate with her in a case where she received a house from her deceased mother, failing to take any substantive action and adequately communicate with a client in a divorce case, and failing to adequately communicate with a client in an appeal for social security benefits, thus violating Rules 1.15(a), 1.16(d), 1.3, 1.4(a) and (b), 8.1(b), and 8.4(a), (b) and (g), Ala. R. Prof. C.

The attorney was suspended from the practice of law in the State of Alabama by order of the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective February 6, 2014, for a period of fifteen (15) months. In August of 2013, the Office of General Counsel began receiving multiple insufficient funds notices regarding the attorney’s IOLTA account. On multiple occasions, the attorney was asked to submit a written response to explain why multiple overdrafts were occurring on his IOLTA account. The attorney failed to respond and was subsequently summarily suspended from the practice of law. The Office of General Counsel obtained copies of the attorney’s IOLTA account and discovered the attorney repeatedly made improper deposits of personal funds to his IOLTA account and he repeatedly made personal payments from the IOLTA account. The attorney submitted a Conditional Guilty Plea, which was accepted by the Disciplinary Commission, and agreed to a fifteen (15) month suspension from the practice of law in the State of Alabama, retroactive to the date of his summary suspension, February 6, 2014. Rules violated: 1.15(a), 8.1(b), and 8.4(a) and (g), Ala. R. Prof. C.

An attorney was disbarred from the practice of law in Alabama by order of the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective January 22, 2014, pursuant to Rule 23, Ala. R. Disc. P. The Supreme Court entered its order based upon the December 16, 2013 order by Panel I of the Disciplinary Board of the Alabama State Bar accepting the attorney's Consent to Disbarment. The attorney consented to disbarment based upon pending Bar investigations concerning the attorney's mishandling or misappropriating client funds on multiple occasions.

The attorney was disbarred from the practice of law in the State of Alabama, by Order of the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective January 6, 2014. The Supreme Court entered its order based upon the November 18, 2013, Order on Consent to Disbarment of the Disciplinary Board of the Alabama State Bar. Pursuant to Rule 23, Ala. R. Dis. P., the attorney consented to disbarment based on a pending investigation concerning allegations that the attorney paid or attempted to pay court personnel to remove Failure to Appear Writs from court files. Rules violated 3.4(a), 3.5(a), 8.4(a)(d)(e) & (g), Ala. R. Prof. C.

The attorney received a public reprimand without general publication on January 10, 2014, for violating Rule 1.3 of the Ala. R. Prof. C. In September of 2009, the attorney was retained to represent a husband and wife in a dispute with a contractor. During the course of the representation of these clients, the attorney failed to file the required certificate of readiness by the deadline imposed by the court. Additionally, because the attorney waited seven months to file the motion to reinstate the case, the motion was denied as being filed outside the four-month window allowed by Rule 60(b)(1), Ala. R. Civ. P. With this conduct, the attorney violated Rule 1.3 [Diligence], Ala. R. Prof. C., by failing to file the required certificate of readiness by the deadline set by the Court and by failing to file a motion to reinstate the case within the four-month window allowed.

An attorney was ordered to receive a public reprimand without general publication for violating Rules 8.1(b), and 8.4(a) and (g), Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct. On May 11, 2012, the Office of General Counsel received notification that the attorney's trust account was overdrawn. The attorney failed or refused to respond to repeated requests from the Office of General Counsel for an explanation. With this conduct, the attorney violated Rule 8.1(b) by failing or refusing to respond to a lawful demand for information from a disciplinary authority. Additionally, the attorney violated Rules 8.4(a), and 8.4(g) because the attorney violated a Rule of Professional Conduct and engaged in conduct adversely reflecting on the attorney's fitness to practice law.

An attorney received a public reprimand with general publication on January 10, 2014, for violating Rules 1.2, 1.3, 1.4(a) & (b), 1.5(c), 1.8(e), 1.16(d), & 8.4(a), (c), & (g), Ala. R. Prof. C. In March of 2005, The attorney agreed to represent a client in a personal injury case wherein he failed to obtain a signed written contingency fee agreement from the client; failed to file a negligence lawsuit on behalf of his client thereby allowing the statute of limitations to expire; failed to keep his client reasonably informed regarding the status of her case; failed to inform her she did not have a viable case; failed to inform her he allowed the statute of limitations to expire; & failed to provide the client with a complete copy of her file. The attorney then made cash payments to the client totaling approximately $3,000.00 due to his failure to properly represent this client.

An attorney received a public reprimand with general publication on January 10, 2014, for violating Rules 4.1 and 8.4(a), (c), and (g), Ala. R. Prof. C. On September 2, 2010, during his representation of a client in a personal injury action, the attorney requested a hospital reduce a bill for services provided to his client. Based upon the attorney's representations, the hospital agreed to reduce its bill and accept 1/3 of the final settlement as payment. Contrary to this agreement, the attorney issued a check to the hospital for less than 1/3 of the final settlement. When contacted about the shortage, the attorney misrepresented the settlement amount. With this conduct, the attorney violated Rule 4.1 by making a false statement of material fact to a third person. Additionally, with this conduct, the attorney violated Rules 8.4(a), 8.4(c), and 8.4(g) because he violated a Rule of Professional Conduct, engaged in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation, and engaged in conduct adversely reflecting on your fitness to practice law.

On January 9, 2014, the attorney received a private reprimand for a violation of Rule 1.15(a), Ala. R. Prof. C. The respondent attorney agreed to represent a client in a divorce modification action for a flat fee of $2,000.00. During the course of the investigation into the client’s complaint to the Bar it was discovered that the respondent attorney deposited the unearned retainer into his operating account and not his trust account.

An attorney was suspended from the practice of law in Alabama for a period of one-year (1) by the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective January 1, 2014. The Supreme Court entered its order based upon the Disciplinary Commission’s acceptance of the attorney conditional guilty plea, wherein the attorney pled guilty to violating Rules 1.2, 1.7(b), 3.4(b), 8.4(a), 8.4(c) and 8.4(g), Ala. R. Prof. C.

An attorney was suspended from the practice of law in Alabama for a period of one-year (1) by the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective January 1, 2014. The Supreme Court entered its order based upon the Disciplinary Commission’s acceptance of the attorney conditional guilty plea, wherein the attorney pled guilty to violating Rules 5.5(a)(1), 8.4(a), 8.4(c) and 8.4(g), Ala. R. Prof. C.

An attorney was suspended from the practice of law in Alabama for a period of one-year (1) by the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective January 1, 2014. The Supreme Court entered its order based upon the Disciplinary Commission’s acceptance of the attorney conditional guilty plea, wherein the attorney pled guilty to violating Rules 5.5(a)(1), 8.4(a), 8.4(c) and 8.4(g), Ala. R. Prof. C.

An attorney was suspended from the practice of law in Alabama for a period of one-year (1) by the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective January 1, 2014. The Supreme Court entered its order based upon the Disciplinary Commission’s acceptance of the attorney conditional guilty plea, wherein the attorney pled guilty to violating Rules 3.3(a)(3), 8.4 (a), 8.4(c) and 8.4(g), Ala. R. Prof. C.