Friends Like These

The Maryland Court of Appeals affirmed a trial court finding that a lawyer and complainant did not have an attorney-client relationship and imposed a public reprimand for mishandling of funds as a result of inadvertance and innocent clerical error. The lawyer, who was admitted in 1975 and had no prior discipline, had a longstanding and complicated personal relationship with the putative client. The “client” is also an attorney. They met in alcohol rehabilitation.

A dissent would find that the failure to find an attorney-client relationship was clearly erroneous and would indefinitely suspend. (Mike Frisch)