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NEW FILINGS,
HEARING SCHEDULES AND CLERK'S OFFICE Recent Disciplinary Decisions from Supreme Court | Recently Filed Complaints and Reports | Announcements | Schedule of Hearings | Clerk’s Office Services ANNOUNCEMENT OF DISCIPLINARY DECISIONS Thursday, September 18, 2008 10:00 A.M. LAWYER DISCIPLINARY ORDERS INFORMATION RELEASE The Supreme Court of Illinois on September 16, 2008, and September 17, 2008, announced the filing of disciplinary orders involving a number of licensed lawyers. Sanctions were imposed because the lawyers engaged in professional misconduct by violating state ethics law. The attached list contains the name of each disciplined lawyer, the address at which the lawyer last practiced, and a brief summary of the misconduct that led to the sanction. The announcement of the orders may be reviewed at the Supreme Court of Illinois website: www.state.il.us/court. Unless otherwise noted, the mandate of discipline issued immediately. The Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC), an Illinois Supreme Court agency, investigates alleged wrongdoing by Illinois attorneys, holds hearings on specific charges, and recommends discipline where warranted. The Supreme Court is, however, the only authority that can discipline lawyers for misconduct. The Supreme Court generally announces lawyer sanction orders during each formal term of Court. The Court convenes in term every January, March, May, September and November. There are approximately 85,000 attorneys in Illinois. Yearly fees are imposed on most Illinois lawyers to fund the ARDC. There are no tax dollars used to support the disciplinary system. The ARDC is composed of seven members, three of whom are non-lawyers. Attorney Benedict Schwarz II is the Commission Chairman. The ARDC Administrator is Jerome Larkin. For additional information concerning these disciplinary orders contact: James J. Grogan, Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, Chicago. 312.565.2600 or 800.826.8625 The ARDC Website is: www.iardc.org
In re TIMOTHY MICHAEL BLOCK, Attorney Number
6215772 File Information: M.R. 22513, 08 RC 1506 Mr. Block was licensed in Illinois in 1993 and in Minnesota in 2002. He was suspended for sixty days in Minnesota for altering documents that he produced to opposing counsel by deleting portions of the text and manipulating the documents so that the deletions could not be detected. Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline and suspended him for sixty days. The suspension is effective on October 8, 2008.
In re ERNESTO DOS REIS BORGES Jr., Attorney
Number 6189298 File information: M.R. 22389, 07 CH 43 Mr. Borges, who was licensed in Illinois in 1985, was censured. He was convicted of failing to file a federal income tax return for tax year 2001 and was sentenced to a term of probation.
In re ZAKEYA LEONA BROOKINS, Attorney Number
6273775 File Information: M.R. 22379, 08 RC 1503 Ms. Brookins was licensed in Illinois and in California in 2001. She was suspended in California for one year, with the suspension stayed by probation subject to conditions, for failing to provide competent representation in a client matter. Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline and suspended her for one year, with the suspension stayed by probation subject to the conditions imposed in California.
In re PAUL WILLIAM CASBARIAN, Attorney
Number 406953 File Number: M.R. 22534, 07 CH 56 Mr. Casbarian, who was licensed in 1976, was suspended for one year and until further order of the Court. He neglected five client civil matters, made false representations to his clients about the status of those matters, and failed to cooperate with the ARDC.
In re THOMAS A. CIFELLI, Attorney Number
6185198 File Information: M.R. 22578, 08 RC 1508 Mr. Cifelli was licensed in Illinois in 1983 and in Arizona in 1991. He was suspended in Arizona for two years, followed by a two-year period of probation with conditions. He was convicted in Arizona of two felony counts of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol. Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline and suspended him for two years and until he is reinstated in Arizona, subject to the terms of probation imposed in Arizona upon reinstatement. The suspension is effective on October 8, 2008.
In re PATRICK JOHN COX, Attorney Number
6226686 File Information: M.R. 22422, 07 SH 75 Mr. Cox, who was licensed in 1995, was disbarred on consent. He was convicted of theft in the Circuit Court of Jackson County after stealing approximately $54,500.00 he was holding for one client, and approximately $3,300.00 he held as guardian ad litem from the estate of a minor client. He is serving three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
In re EBERECHUKWU N. NWAKUDU EKECHUKWU, File information: M.R. 22504, 05 CH 70 Ms. Ekechukwu, who was licensed in 1997, was suspended for sixty days, with the suspension stayed by a one-year period of probation with conditions. She agreed to a settlement on behalf of the spouse of a client when she was not authorized to represent the spouse and she mishandled a portion of another client’s $1,000 real estate earnest money deposit.
In re SCOTT ROBERT ERWIN, Attorney Number
3127084 File Information: M.R. 22401, 04 CH 114 Mr. Erwin, who was licensed in 1980, was suspended for fifteen months. He arranged for a female client to perform nude dances for him in his office after hours in return for credit on her legal fees, fondled the client, and then made misrepresentations to police officers who subsequently investigated the client’s allegations. The suspension is effective on October 7, 2008.
In re BERNARD JAMES FAGAN, Jr., Attorney
Number 766038 File Number: M.R. 22521, 08 CH 28 Mr. Fagan, who was licensed in 1978, was suspended for sixty days and ordered to complete the professionalism seminar of the Illinois Professional Responsibility Institute. He failed to preserve the identity of approximately $1,000 in client funds. The suspension is effective on October 8, 2008.
In re KENNETH JAY FISCH, Attorney Number
813478 File Number: M.R. 22390, 07 CH 80 Mr. Fisch, who was licensed in 1959, was censured. In an effort to obtain a continuance of a hearing date, he made misrepresentations to opposing counsel and to a court.
In re BRYAN S. FLANGEL, Attorney Number
6210644 File Number: M.R. 22465, 06 CH 93 Mr. Flangel, who was licensed in Illinois in 1992, was suspended for sixty days. He settled a workers’ compensation claim without the client’s consent and misrepresented the details of the settlement to that client. The suspension is effective on October 7, 2008.
In re TIMOTHY A. FORSHEY, Attorney Number
6204237 File Information: M.R. 22447, 08 RC 1505 Mr. Forshey was licensed in Illinois and in Arizona in 1990. He was censured in Arizona and placed on probation for two years subject to certain conditions. He neglected several legal matters and engaged in a conflict of interest. The Illinois Supreme Court imposed reciprocal discipline, censured him, and placed him on probation for two years subject to the conditions imposed in Arizona.
In re SHERYL E. FUHR, Attorney Number
6183478 File Number: M.R. 22535, 07 CH 54 Ms. Fuhr, who was licensed in Illinois in 1982, was censured. She neglected two client civil matters and failed to cooperate with the ARDC investigation.
In re ROBERT DAVID GAUBAS, Attorney Number
924555 File Information: M.R. 22418, 08 SH 6 Mr. Gaubas, who was licensed in 1973, was suspended for eighteen months and until further order of the Court. He neglected a client’s administrative review and federal civil rights cases, resulting in her losing her ability to proceed further in both matters. He also neglected two civil cases on behalf of two clients, resulting in a judgment of $43,000.00 against them in one of the cases. He was previously disciplined for unrelated misconduct.
In re JENNIFER A. GEORGIS, Attorney Number
6270379 File Number: M.R. 22466, 07 CH 66 Ms Georgis, who was licensed in 1999, was suspended for one year and until further order of the Court. She failed to advise her clients that their case had been scheduled for trial and that an adverse judgment had been entered against them. She was previously disciplined for unrelated misconduct, and has been diagnosed with a health condition that renders her unfit to practice law.
In re NKRUMAH LUMUMBA HOPKINS, File Information: M.R. 22557, 06 CH 77 Mr. Hopkins, who was licensed in 1998, was suspended for one year, with the suspension stayed after six months by probation for a period of eighteen months subject to certain conditions. He mishandled client filing fees, neglected three client matters, and failed to refund unearned fees to two clients. The suspension is effective on October 8, 2008.
In re BRIAN L. HOPKINSON, Attorney Number
6185485 File Number: M.R. 22445, 07 CH 132 Mr. Hopkinson, who was licensed in 1983, was disbarred on consent. He defrauded clients, family members, friends and acquaintances out of at least $540,000 that he falsely claimed to be investing for them in the purchase of dental practices or other health-care related entities. In fact, he used the money he received from those individuals either for his own purposes or to pay off other purported investors in a Ponzi scheme.
In re MICHAEL R. INGLIMO, Attorney Number
6189624 File Number: M.R. 22390, 08 RC 1504 Mr. Inglimo was licensed in Illinois and in Wisconsin in 1985. He was suspended in Wisconsin for three years. He used cocaine and smoked marijuana with a client, was under the influence of marijuana during that client’s trial, was unprepared for trial, and failed to adequately represent the client. He also wrote checks out of a client trust account to purchase a car for himself. Finally, he engaged in sexual relations with a woman in the presence of her husband as payment for prior legal services. Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline and suspended him for three years and until he is reinstated in Wisconsin. The suspension is effective on October 7, 2008.
In re JEFFREY MARK ISAACSON, Attorney Number
6201351 File Information: M.R. 22417, 07 CH 120 Mr. Isaacson, who was licensed in 1989, was suspended for six months. He neglected a personal injury matter. He was suspended in January 2008 for similar misconduct. The suspension is effective on October 7, 2008.
In re DODIE LEANN JUNKERT, Attorney Number
6244587 File information: M.R. 22476, 07 SH 123 Ms. Junkert, who was licensed in 1998, was suspended for one year, with the suspension stayed after thirty days by a one-year period of probation. She mishandled client funds when she closed her personal checking account and used her client trust account for personal and client purposes. The suspension is effective on October 8, 2008.
In re JOHN WILLIAM KEARNS, Attorney Number
6205537 File Information: M.R. 22495, 04 CH 80 Mr. Kearns, who was licensed in 1991, was suspended for two years and until further order of the Court. He agreed to represent a South African immigrant extend her tourist visa. Although he knew that the client’s visa prohibited her from working in the United States, he offered her a secretarial job and illegally employed her for several months. During the time of her employment, he prepared and filed two immigration petitions on her behalf which falsely stated that she was not employed and had not violated the terms of her visa. Mr. Kearns also provided incompetent representation and engaged in the unauthorized practice of law in an out-of-state traffic matter. He was suspended on an interim basis on March 8, 2007.
In re JOHN MICHAEL KELLEY, Attorney Number
6275254 File information: M.R. 22452, 07 SH 5 Mr. Kelley, who was licensed in 2001, was suspended for two years and until further order of the Court, with the suspension stayed after one year by probation with conditions. During his employment as a Sangamon County Assistant State’s Attorney, he possessed and used cocaine and marijuana. The suspension is effective on October 7, 2008.
In re JEFFREY ARLAN KLINE, Attorney Number
6211318 File Information: M.R. 22388, 07 CH 44 Mr. Kline, who was licensed in 1992, was disbarred. He unlawfully dissipated assets from his own marital estate, was convicted of reckless driving, and was arrested for driving under the influence. He failed to notify the ARDC of the criminal conviction as required by Illinois law, and he failed to appear at his disciplinary hearing.
In re DAVID MARK LAZ, Attorney Number
6182860 File Number: M.R. 22484, 05 CH 114 Mr. Laz, who was licensed in Illinois in 1982, was suspended for two years, with the suspension stayed after one year by probation with conditions. He created a fraudulent child support order to reduce the amount of support his client was supposed to pay and submitted the order to a court as an agreed matter. He also wrote a check on a closed bank account and deposited the check into another bank account in an attempt to deceive a creditor, forged the signature of a client’s wife on a document, and elicited false testimony from the client as to the signature on the document. Finally, he neglected a client’s appeal in a child support and custody dispute and did not refund his unearned fee. The suspension is effective on October 8, 2008.
In re CYNTHIA LEYH, Attorney Number 6199941 File Information: M.R. 22592, 08 RC 1509 Ms. Leyh was licensed in Illinois in 1989 and in Arizona in 1996. She was censured in Arizona for creating a ruse in order to serve trial subpoenas on two different witnesses, whom she had been unable to locate but who attended a social event where she was able to encounter and detain them long enough to have them served. Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline and censured her.
In re STUART PHILLIP LEVINE, Attorney Number
1638890 File Information: M.R. 22599, 08 DC 1005 Mr. Levine, who was licensed in 1972, was disbarred upon consent. He used his influence as a member of two state boards to benefit various parties in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal kickbacks. He pled guilty to federal charges of mail fraud and money laundering and, while testifying in a related criminal proceeding, admitted to chronically using illegal drugs, misappropriating millions of dollars from a relative’s estate, and bribing public officials.
In re WILLIAM A. LOCKHART, Attorney Number
6183232 File information: M.R. 22459, 07 CH 69 Mr. Lockhart, who was licensed in Illinois in 1982, was disbarred after he misappropriated $9,250 from a construction business in which he was a partner and then failed to cooperate with the ARDC investigation. He also failed to appear at his disciplinary hearing.
In re LONNIE L. LUTZ, Attorney Number
1711687 File information: M.R. 22544, 06 SH 81 Mr. Lutz, who was licensed in 1977, was reprimanded for entering into an unreasonable fee and breaching a fiduciary duty to a client when he changed the nature of his representation and charged a fee to a client whom he had been appointed to represent as a public defender.
In re ALEC J. MAGAFAS, Attorney Number
6219366 File Number: M.R. 22558, 07 CH 85 Mr. Magafas, who was licensed to practice in 1994, was disbarred upon consent. He misappropriated approximately $13,000 in real estate escrow funds and neglected a medical malpractice matter.
In re STEPHEN JAY McMULLEN, Attorney Number
1861263 File information: M.R. 22446, 07 CH 50 Mr. McMullen, who was licensed to practice in 1976, was censured. He filed a motion to dismiss a client’s personal injury case without the client’s knowledge or consent and caused another client’s case to be dismissed by missing three consecutive court dates.
In re PATTERSON CARL MEUTH, Attorney Number
3126271 File information: M.R. 22370, 06 CH 94 Mr. Meuth, who was licensed in 1980, was disbarred. He neglected seven client matters, failed to communicate with clients, made misrepresentations to several clients about the progress of their cases and did not refund unearned fees. He did not participate in his disciplinary hearing. He was suspended on an interim basis on April 9, 2008.
In re TIMOTHY JOHN O’LEARY, Attorney Number
6239581 File Information: M.R. 22536, 08 RC 1507 Mr. O’Leary was licensed in Missouri in 1996 and in Illinois the following year. He was reprimanded in Missouri for his involvement in a fraudulent marriage. He served as a witness when his girlfriend married a man whose student visa was about to expire and who wanted to stay in the country. Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline, and he was reprimanded.
In re WILLIAM JOSEPH PHELAN, Attorney Number
2196948 File Number: M.R. 22566, 07 CH 93 Mr. Phelan, who was licensed to practice in 1973, was censured. He filed a contempt petition in which he falsely stated that his client’s wife had endorsed her husband’s name to a check drawn on a joint brokerage account to pay for the husband’s interim attorney’s fees, when it was Mr. Phelan who had actually endorsed his client’s name to that check.
In re RAFAEL RIOS, Attorney Number 6192713 File Number: M.R. 22455, 07 CH 83 Mr. Rios, who was licensed in Illinois in 1986, was disbarred. He failed to provide any legal services after receiving a $5,000 retainer from a client who was arrested after his home was searched by police. He failed to refund any portion of his unearned attorney’s fee. He did not appear at his disciplinary hearing.
In re RONALD A. TASH, Attorney Number
2798328 File Information: M.R. 22419, 07 CH 108 Mr. Tash, who was admitted in 1970, was disbarred upon consent. He misappropriated at least $280,000 from a client. He was suspended on an interim basis on April 15, 2008.
In re
Jacqueline Eaton Thomas, Attorney
Number 6197708 File information: M.R. 22444, 07 CH 35 Ms. Thomas, who was licensed in 1988, was suspended for two years and until further order of the Court and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,550.00 to two different clients. She used an individual named Rasheed to solicit prospective bankruptcy clients. She also neglected three client matters and failed to cooperate during the disciplinary proceedings. In 2007, she was disciplined for similar misconduct.
In re DAVID M. UCHEREK, Attorney Number
6232657 File information: M.R. 22538, 07 SH 33 Mr. Ucherek, who was licensed in 1996, was disbarred. He misappropriated over $55,000 in client funds on five occasions. In order to conceal the conversions, he filed false court pleadings in two matters and made false representations to clients. He also commingled funds in his business and personal checking accounts.
In re
AMANDA KELTON BRADLEY VERETT,
File information: M.R. 22567, 07 SH 105 Ms. Verett, who was licensed in 2003, was suspended for ninety days and ordered to complete the professionalism seminar of the Illinois Professional Responsibility Institute. She failed to advise a court of all material facts in an ex parte hearing and made a false statement to the ARDC in an attempt to impede the disciplinary investigation. The suspension is effective on October 8, 2008.
The Following Order Was Entered By The Court Before The September 2008 Term But Was Not Included In Any Previous Information RELEASE
In re MARK STEVEN KIPNIS, Attorney Number
1470272 File information: M.R. 22354, 08 CH 25 (Order entered. May 28, 2008) Mr. Kipnis, who was admitted in 1974, was suspended on an interim basis and until further order of the Court. While serving as vice president, corporate counsel, and secretary of Hollinger International, Inc., he participated in a scheme with Conrad Black and others to defraud the company by creating illusory non-compete agreements. Following a jury trial, Mr. Kipnis was convicted of mail fraud. He was sentenced to five years of probation; six months of electronic home monitoring; and 275 hours of community service. |