The Winning Ticket

The Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility has imposed a public censure of an attorney for a conflict of interest and violation of the duty of confidentiality.

The attorney was retained to assist his client in forming a limited partnership to manage lottery winnings. He went into partnership with the client. After the client had depleted the prinicple from the investment account where the winnings were deposited, the attorney “took action on behalf of the limited partnership to foreclose on his client’s residence.”

Suing a current client violated Rule 1.7.

He violated confidentiality “by discussing his client’s finances with the client’s ex-wife without the client’s consent. ” (Mike Frisch)