A Short Stay

An attorney admitted in 2011 has had his career end with disbarment by the Nebraska Supreme Court.

The attorney had accepted retainers that he used as his own but had not been earned, mishandled cases and failed to respond to the disciplinary charges.

He also fabricated evidence submitted in response to one client bar complaint.

The court

Respondent did not communicate with his clients regarding their cases and did not properly appropriate his clients’ trust fund accounts. He did not properly withdraw from representation of any of his clients and still maintains their files to this day. Correspondingly, Respondent prejudiced several of his clients’ cases; in particular, he allowed Rodwell’s case to be dismissed completely for failure to update the court. The Respondent has not cooperated with the Counsel for Discipline in its efforts to investigate his case, and in fact, Respondent is evading service from the Counsel for Discipline and this court. Respondent failed to provide records necessary to audit his client trust account. In the one instance when Respondent did reply to the Counsel for Discipline, he fabricated evidence of alleged communication with his clients. Thus, Respondent has engaged in dishonesty, fraud, deceit, and misrepresentation.

It’s (mercifully) not often that a career at law terminates in this fashion in less time that it takes to get through law school. (Mike Frisch)