He refused to withdraw his appearance in a client's dissolution of marriage case after the client's relative, who had been authorized as the client's attorney-in-fact, terminated his representation, and he filed frivolous pleadings and acted dishonestly to benefit himself in the matter. Over the course of five months, he misappropriated over $30,000 from a supplemental needs trust established for his disabled client. e) The CPO may debar a vendor. He was suspended on an interim basis on October 15, 2020. Mr. Rueda, who was licensed in 2011, was suspended from the practice of law for one year, with the suspension stayed after thirty days in favor of a two-year period of probation. He engaged in conduct with no substantial purpose other than to embarrass, delay, and burden a third person in the course of pending litigation by using vulgar and abusive language toward his female opposing counsel during a deposition. He improperly deposited a retainer fee payment from a criminal case he was handling into a business checking account and used a portion of those funds before they had been earned. In two cases, Mr. Wills failed to appear in court for clients, leading to the dismissal of the cases. Ms. Lowery, who was licensed in 2000, was suspended for 30 days and required to successfully complete the ARDC Professionalism Seminar within one year. The Supreme Court of Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline and suspended him for thirty days. The suspension is effective on February 7, 2023. January 17, 2023 3:31pm. The Supreme Court of Missouri disbarred him for failing to diligently represent a client, failing to maintain complete records for his trust account, misappropriating more than $68,000 belonging to his clients, and making misrepresentations to a tribunal. The suspension is effective on October 12, 2022. The Supreme Court of Colorado disbarred him for not diligently representing three clients in patent matters, failing to keep clients informed about the status of their matters, converting client funds in two of the matters, and abandoning two of the clients. Ms. Beran, who was licensed in 2000, was suspended for six months and until further order of the Court, with the suspension stayed after 30 days by a two-year period of probation with conditions. Mr. Barrett was licensed in Illinois in 1990 and in Wisconsin in 1991. She pled guilty to misdemeanor harassment for pointing a semi-automatic pistol at a group of protesting individuals outside of her home, with the purpose of causing emotional distress. He failed to diligently pursue a workers' compensation and a personal injury matter and misrepresented the status of those matters to his clients. His misconduct arose from his December 2017 guilty plea to a charge of battery after he punched an employee of a tavern and his October 2018 guilty plea to operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, his third conviction for driving while intoxicated. The opinions, announcements, and orders by the Supreme Court may be reviewed under the Recent Decisions tab or at the Supreme Court of Illinois website: www.illinoiscourts.gov. The suspension is effective on December 7, 2021. The Supreme Court of Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline, reprimanded him, and suspended him for 120 days. As the manager of his own law firm, Mr. Cunningham did not review his law firm accounts, nor did he know the source of funds in those accounts or how the funds were expended. STATE SEEKS SUSPENSION OF ATTORNEY - Chicago Tribune The ARDC's offices are temporarily closed to the public due to COVID-19. Over the course of two years, while in the process of closing down his law firm, he converted over $8,000 that his firm had collected, and was holding, for a client. The suspension is effective on October 14, 2021. Mr. O'Shea, a former circuit court judge who was licensed in 1979, was suspended for one year and until further order of the Court. He did not repay the funds until the client complained to the ARDC. Ms. Kieffer was licensed in Illinois in 2001 and in Iowa in 2002. What is the ARDC? Reinstatement is not automatic and must be allowed by the Supreme Court of Illinois following a hearing before the ARDC Hearing Board. Additionally, he was criminally charged and pled guilty to providing alcohol to a minor. The suspension is effective on April 6, 2021. The Supreme Court of Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline and suspended her for one year, with the suspension stayed in its entirety by a one-year period of probation, nunc pro tunc to November 21, 2020, subject to the conditions imposed in California, and continuing until she completes her California probation. Ms. Sarnicki, who was licensed in 1991, was suspended for 30 days. Mr. Koenig, who was licensed in 1975, was suspended for one year for intentionally converting $70,076 in funds that were owed to his client after the settlement of a lawsuit over the construction of a will. Mr. Leone was licensed to practice in Illinois in 1981 and in Florida in 1985. Posted April 1, 2022 12:54 PM. Mr. Tresslar was licensed in Missouri in 1985 and in Illinois in 1986. The Supreme Court of Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline and placed him on probation for 12 months, nunc pro tunc to July 3, 2018, subject to the conditions imposed in Missouri, and continuing until he completes the period of probation in Missouri. In a 2019 matter, he was admonished for failing to distribute funds to a person owed the funds and not reasonably communicating with his client. Reinstatement is not automatic and must be allowed by the Supreme Court of Illinois following a hearing before the ARDC Hearing Board. The suspension is effective on October 14, 2021. In 2017 and 2018, Mr. O'Shea made false statements to the police and the Judicial Inquiry Board about the accidental discharge of a handgun in his apartment. When he eventually opened the probate case, he forged the client's signature on documents and filed them with the court. A suspension until further order of the Court is an indefinite suspension which requires the suspended lawyer to petition for reinstatement after the fixed period of suspension ends. Mr. Paleczny, who was licensed in 2018, was suspended for one year and until he completes the ARDC's professionalism seminar. Mr. Kowalski, who was licensed in 1990, was suspended on an interim basis and until further order of the Court. The suspension is effective on February 11, 2021. Reinstatement is not automatic and must be allowed by the Supreme Court of Illinois following a hearing before the ARDC Hearing Board. The suspension is effective on February 11, 2021. He falsely told his client that he had communicated with an insurance claims adjuster, and he made false statements to the ARDC in the course of the disciplinary proceeding. an attorney who used at least $136,000 of his employer's funds without consent should be suspended for three years and until further order of the court, according to the illinois attorney registration and disciplinary committee hearing board.the administrator charged tradd ashton fromme with engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit The Supreme Court of Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline and suspended Mr. Kovac for five months. Mr. Easley failed act with reasonable diligence to complete an elderly client's estate planning matter and did not reasonably communicate with the client. The suspension is effective on June 8, 2021. The law firm refunded the client's overpayment. A suspension until further order of the Court is an indefinite suspension which requires the suspended lawyer to petition for reinstatement after the fixed period of suspension ends. Ms. Gerstetter, who was licensed in 2018, was suspended for 60 days. Welcome to the Attorney Discipline Board. In three separate legal matters, he repeatedly sent threatening and harassing email messages to other attorneys. He also provided money to the client as a loan against an anticipated settlement and then as a purported settlement. The suspension is effective on April 15, 2022. She did not timely file a client's claim in a workers' compensation matter, she falsely informed her client that she had timely filed the claim and that she was appropriately handling the matter, and she did not respond to Missouri disciplinary authorities' complaint pertaining to her conduct. Mr. DeGrave, who was licensed in 2015, was suspended for one year and until further order the Court for striking his then-wife in the face during an argument, which led to injuries requiring surgery. Mr. Sherman agreed that there was factual predicate for disciplinary action against him. She did not provide legal services to a client after being paid to conduct a trademark search and review. Ms. VanAusdall then created a second proposed order that included provisions that had not been agreed upon and falsely assured the trial judge that opposing counsel had agreed to the order she was presenting. Ms. Hill-McClain, who was licensed in 1988, was suspended for six months and until she makes restitution of $16,300 to a client. Mr. OConnor was licensed in Illinois in 1980 and in Arizona in 1988. A lawyer who embezzled almost $80,000 from former clients should be suspended for three years, according to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission Review Board.Robert John Hankes, a former employee of Vedder Price P.C., was found to have created false invoices for his former . The California Supreme Court suspended her for one year, with the suspension stayed by a one-year period of probation subject to conditions. Mr. Easley was licensed to practice in Illinois in 2007 and in Missouri in 2000. Mr. Hynes, who was licensed in 2016, was suspended for one year and until further order of the Court, with the suspension stayed after 90 days in favor of a three-year period of probation. Mr. Duebbert, a former circuit court judge in St. Clair County who was licensed in 1990, was suspended for one year and until further order of the Court. He failed to appear when required before the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois, made false statements about appearing before the bankruptcy court in an affidavit and to a third person, and made false statements to the ARDC about drafting the affidavit. He also prepared and had that defendant sign a typewritten incriminating statement, which he then filed with a motion to reduce bond in his own client's case. This page contains ARDC summaries of recent disciplinary decisions issued by the Supreme Court of Illinois. Mr. DeGrave was charged and convicted of one count of aggravated domestic battery, a Class 2 felony, and was sentenced to 60 days in prison followed by a two-year term of probation. The suspension is effective on December 7, 2021. In securing a $200,000 loan for a company that he and a client co-owned, the repayment of which that client personally guaranteed, he entered into a business transaction with a second client without disclosing the first client's financial liabilities and without obtaining the second client's informed consent. Ill. S. Ct. R. 774(a)(1). Reinstatement is not automatic and must be allowed by the Supreme Court of Illinois following a hearing before the ARDC Hearing Board. He practiced law for approximately six weeks after having been removed from the roll of attorneys in 2019 for failure to complete the Supreme Court's registration requirements and then practiced law for an approximately 23 weeks after having been removed from the roll of attorneys in 2020 for failure to complete Minimum Continuing Legal Education requirements. A referee appointed by the Supreme Court of Wisconsin publicly reprimanded him for possessing a firearm silencer in violation of Wisconsin Statutes. Between March and May 2018, Mr. Rueda converted over $15,000 in four client matters due in part to his failure to keep appropriate trust account records. The ARDC summaries contain the name of each disciplined lawyer, the community in which that lawyer last practiced, a brief summary of the misconduct and the disciplinary sanction ordered by the Court. The Supreme Court of Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline and suspended him until he is reinstated to the practice of law in Missouri, with the suspension stayed in its entirety by a term of probation subject to the conditions imposed in Missouri and continuing until he has satisfied his Missouri probation. Mr. Szymanski, who was licensed in 2013, was suspended from the practice of law for two years and until further order of the Court. The Supreme Court of Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline and entered an order disbarring him in Illinois. Mr. Stroth, who was licensed in 2001, was suspended for 30 days and ordered to take the ARDC's professionalism seminar. The suspension is effective on February 10, 2022. The suspension is effective on October 14, 2021. Mr. Gordon failed to file a brief in his client's criminal appeal and did not refund the fees he received for the representation. Mr. Gonzalez, who was licensed in 2012, was suspended for one year and until further order of the Court. Mr. Moonen is currently suspended in Iowa on a separate case involving his failure to cooperate with Iowa disciplinary authorities' investigations. 'S signature on documents and filed them with the suspension is effective October. The suspension is effective on February 11, 2021 automatic and must allowed... To a minor as a purported settlement fees he received for the representation the California Supreme Court of following! 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