Failure To Supervise

The Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board has recommended a fully deferred suspension of one year and one day and two years probation in a case where trust accounts thefts were committed by the sanctioned lawyer’s non-lawyer employee. The attorney had “failed to enact safety measures to guard against the misappropriation of client or third party money by his staff.”

The board rejected charges that the attorney’s method of closing real-estate transactions violated the ban on commingling. The procedure for paying recording fees was consistent with standard practices and did not involve any mishandling of entrusted funds. (Mike Frisch)