Attorney Suspended

The Rhode Island Supreme Court has ordered the suspension of an attorney for conduct in connection with a pending bar complaint

On January 20, 2023, this Court’s Disciplinary Counsel (“Counsel”) filed a Petition pursuant to Article III, Rule 6(e) of the Supreme Court Rules of Disciplinary Procedure requesting that the Court order the respondent, James S. Lawrence, a member of the Rhode Island bar, to file an answer to a pending disciplinary complaint.

On February 14, 2023, the Court entered an Order reprimanding the respondent for his failure to answer that complaint and directed him to file an answer within ten (10) days or his license would be indefinitely suspended without further notice.

On February 27, 2023, three days after the February 24, 2023 deadline set in the Order, the respondent faxed a purported answer to the complaint that failed to address any of the substantive allegations in the complaint and also falsely indicated that he had delivered the case file at issue to successor counsel. Counsel’s inquiry into the delivery of the file proved that respondent had not delivered the file as claimed.

On March 1, 2023, Counsel wrote to the respondent to explain that his answer was non-responsive and thereby insufficient, and that contrary to his representation about transmitting the file, successor counsel had not received the file he claimed to have sent. This letter also gave respondent until March 10, 2023 to transfer the file and provide a substantive response to the disciplinary complaint. To date Counsel received no further response from respondent.

An affidavit from successor counsel confirmed non-receipt of the file.

The court ordered immediate suspension until further order and appointed a special master to review and inventory the attorney’s client files and accounts. (Mike Frisch)