Reasons For Disbarment Order

The Maryland Court of Appeals has issued an opinion explaing the reasons for a per curiam order of disbarment.

The attorney had blown a statute of limiations in the client’s case and lied to both the client and Bar Counsel.

Respondent engaged in a pattern of misconduct by failing repeatedly to act in Mr. Kolodner’s best interest over the course of years and making numerous misrepresentations to Mr. Kolodner and Bar Counsel, implicating factor (c). Factor (d) is implicated by Respondent’s numerous violations of the Rules. See Barton, 442 Md. at 146. In addition, Respondent submitted false evidence to Bar Counsel in the form of an amended complaint that lacked the court’s cross out of the time/date stamp, implicating factor (f). Factor (f) is further implicated by Respondent’s false statement to Bar Counsel in August 2013 that an amended complaint had been filed, when in fact the amended complaint had been rejected. Respondent’s failure to participate in the disciplinary proceedings reflects his indifference to making restitution, thereby implicating factor (j). See Thomas, 440 Md. at 557 (concluding that the respondent’s failure to participate in the disciplinary proceedings demonstrated an indifference to making restitution). There are no mitigating factors on this record for us to consider because Respondent declined to participate in the disciplinary proceedings in any way. See id.

Respondent’s professional misconduct, exacerbated by a number of aggravating factors and absent any facts in mitigation, is deserving of the ultimate sanction. We consequently issued a Per Curiam Order disbarring Respondent on September 29, 2015.

The City Paper had the earlier story, describing the attorney as the scion of a prominent Baltimore family. (Mike Frisch)