A three year suspension retroactive to 2013 has been imposed by the Louisiana Supreme Court

By way of background, the misconduct at issue in this proceeding occurred over a three-month period of time in 2013, while respondent was experiencing severe depression. In August 2013, members of the judiciary and friends in the legal community conducted an intervention. Thereafter, respondent was admitted to the Ridgeview Institute (“Ridgeview”) for inpatient treatment. During his treatment, respondent contacted the Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program (“JLAP”) and voluntarily surrendered his law license. Following his initial treatment for depression, respondent was transferred to the inpatient addiction program at Ridgeview, where he remained until he was discharged in December 2013. He discontinued his contract with JLAP in November 2013.

In December 2015, the ODC filed eleven counts of formal charges against respondent. Respondent answered the formal charges and admitted much of his misconduct, but asserted that numerous mitigating factors were applicable. Prior to a hearing on the formal charges, respondent and the ODC stipulated to ten counts of the formal charges.

Sanction

we agree that the appropriate sanction in this case is a three-year suspension. Respondent’s misconduct occurred over a period of three months, during a time that he was severely depressed. There is no indication that respondent acted in bad faith or that he intended a result inconsistent with his clients’ interests. As soon as he was confronted by friends and colleagues about his behavior, respondent sought treatment and self-reported his misconduct to the ODC. Although he has not made complete restitution, respondent has made and continues in good faith to make payments to his former clients and the Louisiana State Bar Association’s (“LSBA”) Client Assistance Fund