A Disbarment Case

The Minnesota Supreme Court has disbarred an attorney admitted in 1991. The attorney had a substantial record of prior discipline. The court summarized its holding:

Disbarment is the appropriate discipline when a lawyer misappropriates client funds and makes false statements to that client to conceal the misappropriation; makes false statements to the Director of the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility and coerces false testimony from the client in the subsequent disciplinary investigation; fails to cooperate with the investigation; fails to file employer withholding tax returns on time and pay those taxes on time; charges a client an unreasonable fee and fails to timely comply with a binding fee arbitration award; and dismisses a client’s case without permission, charges an unreasonable fee, and fails to communicate with the client.

(Mike Frisch)