Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Michael D. Mandelman , 365 Wis. 2d 457 ( 2015 )


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    2015 WI 105
    SUPREME COURT            OF   WISCONSIN
    CASE NO.:               2003AP3348-D, 2004AP2633-D, 2007AP2653-D and
    2011AP584-D
    COMPLETE TITLE:         In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings
    Against Michael D. Mandelman, Attorney at Law:
    Office of Lawyer Regulation,
    Complainant-Respondent,
    v.
    Michael D. Mandelman,
    Respondent-Appellant.
    DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST MANDELMAN
    OPINION FILED:          December 8, 2015
    SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS:
    ORAL ARGUMENT:
    SOURCE OF APPEAL:
    COURT:
    COUNTY:
    JUDGE:
    JUSTICES:
    CONCURRED:           A.W. Bradley, J., concurs. (Opinion Filed).
    DISSENTED:
    NOT PARTICIPATING:   R.G. Bradley, J., did not participate.
    ATTORNEYS:
    
    2015 WI 105
                                                                       NOTICE
    This opinion is subject to further
    editing and modification.   The final
    version will appear in the bound
    volume of the official reports.
    Nos.        2003AP3348-D
    2004AP2633-D
    2007AP2653-D
    2011AP584-D
    STATE OF WISCONSIN                               :            IN SUPREME COURT
    In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings
    Against Michael D. Mandelman, Attorney at Law:
    Office of Lawyer Regulation,                                            FILED
    Complainant-Respondent,
    DEC 8, 2015
    v.
    Diane M. Fremgen
    Clerk of Supreme Court
    Michael D. Mandelman,
    Respondent-Appellant.
    ATTORNEY reinstatement proceeding.             Reinstatement denied.
    ¶1     PER CURIAM.        We review the report and recommendation
    of Referee Hannah C. Dugan, recommending reinstatement of the
    law license of Attorney Michael D. Mandelman, with conditions,
    and recommending that the court impose the full costs of this
    proceeding      on   Attorney      Mandelman.         The     Office      of     Lawyer
    Regulation (OLR) took no position on reinstatement before the
    referee and did not appeal the referee's recommendation.                               We
    therefore      review      the    referee's     report       and     recommendation
    Nos.    2003AP3348-D
    2004AP2633-D
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    2011AP584-D
    pursuant to Supreme Court Rule (SCR) 22.33(3).                                      After fully
    reviewing this matter, we conclude that Attorney Mandelman has
    not satisfied the criteria required to resume the practice of
    law in this state, and we deny his petition for reinstatement.
    Attorney       Mandelman          is    directed         to   pay    the     costs       of   this
    reinstatement proceeding, which total $8,074.65 as of June 1,
    2015.
    ¶2         Attorney       Mandelman      was         licensed    to    practice       law   in
    Wisconsin in 1980.                He practiced in Milwaukee, primarily in the
    area of personal injury and criminal law.                            His license has been
    suspended since July 1, 2006.                        On August 1, 2014, this court
    revoked       Attorney       Mandelman's         law      license      for     22    counts     of
    misconduct.         In re Disciplinary Proceedings Against Mandelman,
    
    2014 WI 100
    , 
    358 Wis. 2d 179
    , 
    851 N.W.2d 401
    .                                The revocation,
    which    followed        a     lengthy     disciplinary             history,    was       imposed
    retroactive         to   May      29,    2009,       thereby    enabling        him      to   seek
    reinstatement now rather than waiting the usual requisite five
    years.
    ¶3         Attorney Mandelman's disciplinary history culminating
    in his revocation includes seven prior disciplinary cases:
        In   1990,      he      received      a    one-year     suspension         for   27
    counts of misconduct relating to multiple counts of
    failure       to    act   with     diligence;         failing        to   promptly
    return files to clients; simultaneously representing
    multiple clients with adverse interests; settling a
    client's        claim      without          authorization;           failing     to
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    2011AP584-D
    communicate with clients; making a misrepresentation
    to    the     former      Board        of    Attorneys        Professional
    Responsibility          (BAPR),        predecessor       to     the        OLR,
    attempting to limit potential malpractice liability;
    and   trust     account        violations.       In     re    Disciplinary
    Proceedings          Against        Mandelman,    
    158 Wis. 2d
        1,
    
    460 N.W.2d 749
    (1990).
       In    1994,     he     received       an    18-month    suspension          for
    misconduct       that      included         failing      to     act        with
    diligence, failing to respond to clients' requests for
    information, failing to refund a client's retainer,
    violating the rules regarding trust accounts following
    his 1990 suspension, and failing to provide complete
    and accurate responses to BAPR.                   In re Disciplinary
    Proceedings          Against     Mandelman,      
    182 Wis. 2d
        583,
    
    514 N.W.2d 11
    (1994).
       In 1999, he received a consensual private reprimand
    for making a false statement of fact to a tribunal.
    Private Reprimand No. 99-18.
       In 2006, he received a consensual private reprimand
    for drawing a check from his business account to make
    a    mortgage    payment        for    a    personal    injury       client.
    Private Reprimand No. 06-21.
       Also in 2006, he received a nine-month suspension for
    multiple instances of misconduct including failing to
    act with reasonable diligence, failing to utilize a
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    written fee agreement in a medical malpractice case,
    and persuading a client to sign a release of claims
    against him without the client obtaining independent
    representation.               In    re        Disciplinary           Proceedings
    Against    Mandelman,          
    2006 WI 45
    ,    
    290 Wis. 2d
      158,
    
    714 N.W.2d 512
    .1
       In    2009,     he     received        a      one-year       suspension         for
    misconduct          including        collecting          a       fee       without
    performing any work for a client, failing to provide a
    client with a written settlement statement, retaining
    a    client's    funds       for    more      than    four       years,     making
    misrepresentations to a client, failing to obtain a
    client's signature on a settlement check, failing to
    deposit    the       settlement        funds      into       a    client       trust
    account, and failing to provide a client's file and
    funds to the client.                In re Disciplinary Proceedings
    Against    Mandelman,          
    2009 WI 40
    ,    
    317 Wis. 2d
      215,
    
    765 N.W.2d 788
    .
       In    2014,     this        court   revoked          Attorney        Mandelman's
    license       for      22     counts       of     misconduct             including
    1
    Notably, this decision also denied Attorney Mandelman's
    first petition for reinstatement because, while his suspension
    was pending, additional professional misconduct was discovered,
    including post-suspension trust account violations and, during
    reinstatement proceedings, he gave incomplete and evasive
    information to BAPR.
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    mishandling of trust accounts and funds, commingling
    personal and business funds with client trust funds,
    converting    client     trust    finds     by   engaging      in    trust
    account transactions that left negative balances in
    his own subsidiary accounts, failing to deliver trust
    funds to a client over a period of years, failing to
    keep complete and accurate trust account records, and
    on multiple occasions filing income tax returns that
    were false.       Attorney Mandelman also showed lack of
    diligence in another matter, failed to notify a client
    of his suspension in another, and also gave a false
    affidavit to the OLR.          Mandelman, 
    358 Wis. 2d 179
    .
    ¶4      On August 5, 2014, Attorney Mandelman filed a petition
    seeking reinstatement of his license to practice law.                          The OLR
    filed a response dated January 15, 2015.                     The OLR expressed
    several concerns in its initial response, noting that, because
    of time constraints imposed by the referee, it had insufficient
    time to investigate the reinstatement petition.
    ¶5      The referee conducted a public reinstatement hearing
    on February 4, 2015.       At the hearing, the OLR stated that it had
    deposed    Attorney    Mandelman     and     resolved    many     of     the    issues
    previously      identified.     The    OLR    declined       to   take     a    formal
    position on reinstatement.
    ¶6      Attorney     Mandelman     and     four     additional         witnesses
    appeared   at    the   reinstatement       hearing:      Attorney        Mandelman's
    doctor, his faculty advisor, his employer for his student work
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    at the computer center at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee,
    and   a    friend/out-of-town       lawyer.           Post-hearing,         the     referee
    permitted and received additional documentation in support of
    the     petition,       including      a   Board       of     Bar        Examiner      (BBE)
    certification of continuing legal education (CLE) compliance, a
    restitution payment to S.M., and documentation of efforts to
    make a restitution payment to B.S.                   The referee filed her report
    and recommendation on May 12, 2015, recommending reinstatement
    with substantial conditions.
    ¶7      The      standards    applicable          to     all       petitions       for
    reinstatement after a disciplinary suspension or revocation are
    set   forth      in    SCR   22.31(1).         The    petitioning         attorney     must
    demonstrate by clear, satisfactory, and convincing evidence that
    he or she has the moral character necessary to practice law in
    this state, that his or her resumption of the practice of law
    will not be detrimental to the administration of justice or
    subversive of the public interest, and that the attorney has
    complied fully with the terms of the suspension or revocation
    order      and   the     requirements      of    SCR     22.26.            In    addition,
    SCR 22.31(1)(c) incorporates the statements that a petition for
    reinstatement         must   contain     pursuant      to    SCR     22.29(4)(a)-(4m).
    Thus,      the   petitioning       attorney      must        demonstrate        that    the
    required      representations       in     the       reinstatement         petition      are
    substantiated.
    ¶8      When     reviewing       referee        reports       in     reinstatement
    proceedings, we utilize standards of review similar to those we
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    use for reviewing referee reports in disciplinary proceedings.
    We do not overturn a referee's findings of fact unless they are
    clearly erroneous.          On the other hand, we review a referee's
    legal conclusions, including whether the attorney has satisfied
    the criteria for reinstatement, on a de novo basis.                               In re
    Disciplinary      Proceedings     Against      Jennings,     
    2011 WI 45
    ,    ¶39,
    
    334 Wis. 2d 335
    , 
    801 N.W.2d 304
    ; In re Disciplinary Proceedings
    Against Gral, 
    2010 WI 14
    , ¶22, 
    323 Wis. 2d 280
    , 
    779 N.W.2d 168
    .
    ¶9      Here, the referee concluded that Attorney Mandelman
    has demonstrated that he sincerely desires to have his license
    reinstated.       SCR 22.29(4)(a).
    ¶10     The referee concluded that Attorney Mandelman has not
    practiced      law       during    the        period    of    his         revocation.
    SCR 22.29(4)(b).         The referee accepted the evidence from the
    hearing   that      "a   great    deal    of    Mandelman's       time    was     spent
    following     rigorous       conventional        and     experimental        medical
    treatment protocols, and attending graduate school in a field
    unrelated to law."
    ¶11     The    referee    concluded        that    Attorney     Mandelman       has
    complied with the terms of his suspension and revocation orders.
    SCR 22.29(4)(c); see also SCR 22.29(4)(h) (requiring that the
    petitioner has fully complied with the requirements set forth in
    SCR 22.26); SCR 22.31(1)(d).             For many years, Attorney Mandelman
    owed $12,793.24 in costs from his 2004 disciplinary matter and
    $6,397.54 in costs from his 2007 disciplinary matter.                      In August
    of 2014, Attorney Mandelman paid those cost judgments by sending
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    cashier's checks in the appropriate respective amounts to the
    OLR.         The    court        also       ordered       Attorney          Mandelman        to    pay
    $16,943.16         in      costs        relating          to     the        recent        revocation
    proceeding.               Attorney          Mandelman          entered       into        a   payment
    arrangement         with    the    OLR       on    August       21,     2014,      to     make    $100
    monthly       payments.                Attorney          Mandelman          has      made       timely
    installment payments.
    ¶12    The       referee        concluded         that    Attorney          Mandelman       has
    maintained competence and learning in the law.                                SCR 22.29(4)(d).
    Although this evidence was not produced at the reinstatement
    hearing, the referee permitted Attorney Mandelman to obtain and
    to provide proof of certification of CLE compliance from the BBE
    post-hearing.           The BBE filed a certification with the court on
    February 9, 2015, stating that Attorney Mandelman was "currently
    in compliance with the court's CLE and EPR requirements for
    reinstatement."
    ¶13    The       referee         concluded         that         Attorney          Mandelman's
    conduct      since      the      revocation         has        been    exemplary          and     above
    reproach.           SCR    22.29(4)(e).                 Admittedly,          unlike      a   typical
    revocation,         five         years       had        not     elapsed        since         Attorney
    Mandelman's         license        was       revoked.            The     referee         based     her
    conclusion         relating       to    this       requirement         on    the    testimony       of
    several      people        who    spoke       on    behalf       of     Attorney         Mandelman.
    Attorney       Mandelman's             academic          mentor        and     chair         of     his
    dissertation         committee         at    UW-Milwaukee             testified       respectfully
    about Attorney Mandelman's dissertation topic and work, which
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    involves the benefits to the elderly related to construction of
    co-housing       facilities.           Attorney          Mandelman's                attorney       and
    personal     friend      spoke        highly        of        Attorney          Mandelman          and
    respectfully about his writings and presentations, specifying
    motorcycle    rights     litigation.              However,          the       referee's      report
    notes    that,     "[w]hile      the       witness        credibly            stated       that       he
    believed    Mandelman      to    be    trustworthy             and    reliable,            he     also
    testified that he did not know about the specifics of [his]
    disciplinary       history."               Attorney       Mandelman's                UW-Milwaukee
    employment supervisor testified credibly and convincingly about
    Attorney     Mandelman's        work       ethic,        his    helpfulness,               and     his
    camaraderie with other students and faculty.
    ¶14   The referee concluded that Attorney Mandelman has the
    moral character to practice law in this state.                                SCR 22.29(4)(e).
    ¶15   The     referee        concluded             that        Attorney           Mandelman
    satisfied SCR 22.29(4)(j), which requires a description of the
    petitioner's proposed use of the license if reinstated.                                     At the
    hearing,    Attorney      Mandelman         spoke        at    some       length       about       his
    future   plans,     if    reinstated.             These        include          practice         in    a
    structured     environment,        although          he       did     not       rule       out    the
    prospect of returning to solo practice in the future.
    ¶16   The     referee        concluded             that        Attorney           Mandelman
    satisfied    SCR    22.29(4)(k),            which     requires            a    lawyer       seeking
    reinstatement      to    provide       a    full     description               of    all    of     the
    petitioner's business activities during the period of suspension
    or   revocation.         The    reinstatement            petition             contains      a     full
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    description        of     Attorney        Mandelman's         activities         between       his
    suspension in 2006 and the 2015 reinstatement hearing.                                  Attorney
    Mandelman completed a Master's Degree in Architecture and was
    admitted to the Ph.D. program in Architecture at UW-Milwaukee,
    where he completed and passed qualifying exams.
    ¶17    Since       2009,      Attorney           Mandelman    has    also     worked     in
    retail      sales       at    Office      Depot,         Weston     Properties,          and   at
    UW-Milwaukee in a variety of assistant jobs, including in his
    academic     department            and   in   a    print     shop    producing          product,
    supervising        students,        and    handling        money    pursuant        to    sales.
    Evidence from the hearing also indicates that he has engaged in
    some property management work.
    ¶18    In addition, SCR 22.29(4m) requires and the referee
    concluded that Attorney Mandelman has made restitution to or
    settled all claims of persons injured or harmed by petitioner's
    misconduct, including reimbursement to the Wisconsin Lawyers'
    Fund for Client Protection for all payments made from that fund,
    or,   if    not,    the      petitioner's          explanation       of    the     failure     or
    inability to do so.
    ¶19    In     our      May    29,   2009         suspension    order,        we    ordered
    Attorney Mandelman to pay $1,250 in restitution to S.M. and
    $2,200 in restitution to B.S. within 60 days.                             On June 10, 2009,
    the OLR reminded Attorney Mandelman that those payments were to
    be made by July 28, 2009.
    ¶20    Attorney Mandelman had not made restitution to these
    clients when he filed this reinstatement petition.                                      However,
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    Attorney Mandelman has since done so.           On January 14, 2015, the
    OLR received emailed correspondence from Attorney Mandelman that
    included a copy of a $1,250 cashier's check payable to S.M.                The
    record indicates that Attorney Mandelman sent the check to S.M.
    and that S.M. accepted the payment.
    ¶21   At    the     reinstatement    hearing,   Attorney        Mandelman
    explained that he had been unable to locate B.S.                   After the
    hearing, Attorney Mandelman provided proof that he deposited a
    check    for    $2,200   in   the   Unclaimed    Property     Fund     payable
    to/redeemable by B.S.         The referee thus found that Attorney
    Mandelman "provided documentation within 20 days of the hearing
    date that he has complied fully with the terms of the order of
    revocation with respect to the payment of restitution."2
    ¶22   We accept the referee's findings and conclusions on
    each of the foregoing requirements for reinstatement.
    ¶23   The issues in this reinstatement proceeding, however,
    relate to the remaining requirements for reinstatement.                    The
    rules also impose on the petitioner the burden of demonstrating
    by clear, satisfactory, and convincing evidence that he has a
    proper understanding of and attitude toward the standards that
    are imposed upon members of the bar and will act in conformity
    with them, and that he can be safely recommended as a person fit
    2
    The referee's report, on pages 6 and 9, mistakenly states
    that B.S. was the one who accepted payment and that S.M.'s check
    was deposited into the Unclaimed Property Fund.         This is
    incorrect.
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    to represent clients and to aid in the administration of justice
    in this state.        SCR 22.29(4)(f)-(g).
    ¶24    With    respect       to     SCR       22.29(4)(f),      the    referee      was
    persuaded     by     Attorney       Mandelman        and    his     witnesses'     testimony
    that he has accepted responsibility for his misconduct and has
    "new   insights"       into       his    behaviors      and    conditions         during   his
    period of suspension.                   With respect to SCR             22.29(4)(g), the
    referee      concluded        that,       "based       on     the    petition       and    the
    testimony," this element is satisfied, subject to recommended
    conditions.
    ¶25    We    are     not    persuaded         that     Attorney      Mandelman      has
    provided clear and convincing evidence that he has satisfied
    SCR 22.29(4)(f) and (g); as such, we disagree with the referee's
    conclusions of law on these issues.
    ¶26    For    many    years,       Attorney      Mandelman       suffered      from   a
    chronic      illness        with        symptoms      including        chronic      fatigue.
    Attorney      Mandelman           cited     his       health      issues     in     previous
    disciplinary and reinstatement proceedings.                            The reinstatement
    record here indicates that, after many years, his illness was
    finally      effectively      treated       and      his    doctor     reports     that    his
    current medical prognosis good.
    ¶27    However, as Attorney Mandelman concedes, his medical
    condition      neither      caused        nor    excuses      his    prior    professional
    misconduct.         Attorney Mandelman's disciplinary history reflects
    persistent patterns not only of neglect, but of fraud.                                     His
    extensive misconduct history cannot all be attributed to side
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    effects of his illness.                  In short, his recovery bodes well for
    Attorney Mandelman, but is not sufficient to persuade us that he
    should be permitted to practice law again.
    ¶28     The    scope       and    seriousness        of    Attorney        Mandelman's
    prior     misconduct         reveals        a    lawyer       who       lacked     a   proper
    understanding        of     and    attitude      toward     the     standards       that   are
    imposed upon members of the bar.                      Certainly, he did not act in
    conformity with those standards for any appreciable period of
    time.        He extensively used client trust accounts to conceal
    personal       income       and         recklessly      filed       tax     returns        that
    misrepresented his income.                     His own record demonstrates that,
    prior to his suspension, he was not a person who could be safely
    recommended as a person fit to represent clients and to aid in
    the administration of justice in this state.                              Consequently, he
    must    do    more    now    than       simply    clean     up    the    mess     he   created
    before.        We must be persuaded by evidence that is clear and
    convincing that he meets these standards now.
    ¶29     Attorney Mandelman has taken some commendable steps to
    address past wrongs.              The list of potential concerns identified
    by the OLR was not trivial.                          The referee and the OLR               were
    apparently      satisfied         that    Attorney      Mandelman        has     amended   tax
    returns       and     determined          whether      he     needed       to     repay    the
    federal/state        government          for    amounts     that    may     be     owing   for
    calendar years 2005/2006.                   Attorney Mandelman represented, at
    the hearing, that he has settled all delinquent tax obligations
    with     the        State     of        Wisconsin       and       provided        supporting
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    documentation.             The       referee    and        the     OLR       were      apparently
    satisfied        with    Attorney        Mandelman's        explanation             of     business
    relationships          with     Weston    Properties,            Heartland,         and       Liberty
    Holding Company, LLC, which was finally dissolved February 12,
    2014.      The OLR and the referee were apparently satisfied with
    Attorney Mandelman's responses to questions about the fact that
    he   was    a    party     to    a    number    of    civil       actions          filed       within
    Milwaukee County and Ozaukee County.                        At the hearing, Attorney
    Mandelman        testified        that    he    had        resolved          all      outstanding
    disputes.
    ¶30       The     referee      downplayed       the        significance            of     these
    concerns, so she did not make detailed findings of fact about
    them.      Accordingly, we are not usurping the role of the referee
    as   the    fact-finder.             However,    we    consider          the    scope         of    the
    matters     of    concern        important      to    our    assessment             of     Attorney
    Mandelman's       proper        understanding         of    and    attitude           toward        the
    standards       that     are    imposed    upon      members       of    the       bar     and      his
    ability to act in conformity with those standards as well as
    whether     he    can     be     safely    recommended            as     a     person         fit   to
    represent clients and to aid in the administration of justice in
    this state.
    ¶31       The referee was persuaded that Attorney Mandelman "has
    managed to satisfy his tax obligations, pay for graduate school,
    disengage from the debt of his office building, maintain the
    mortgage of his home and addressed any known civil judgments."
    This is commendable, although we note that Attorney Mandelman
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    retains     significant       indebtedness,          and        in     fact           incurred
    substantial additional debt to pay for graduate school, loans
    that will become due when he completes his graduate degree.
    ¶32    Debt,       alone,     will       not        preclude           a         lawyer's
    reinstatement.        Here, however, it presents a legitimate cause
    for concern.        In 1995, we reinstated Attorney Mandelman's law
    license     despite     our      expressed         misgivings         about           Attorney
    Mandelman's     "substantial        debts"         and    his        debt       management,
    including questionable decisions to invest substantial funds in
    business     ventures    rather     than      to     begin      paying          his    lawful
    obligations.       Still, swayed by the "thoroughness and timeliness"
    of his response to documentation requests and the "completeness
    and candor of his testimony and in his overall demeanor as a
    witness,"     we     reinstated      his      law        license,       with           certain
    conditions.     In re Reinstatement of Mandelman, 
    197 Wis. 2d 435
    ,
    
    541 N.W.2d 480
    (1995).             Our confidence in his reform proved
    misplaced.
    ¶33    Less than four years later, in 1999, we were obliged
    to   privately        reprimand      Attorney            Mandelman.                   Multiple
    disciplinary proceedings ensued until his 2009 suspension and
    subsequent revocation, including numerous and varied misconduct
    adversely affecting many clients.                  In our view, not enough has
    changed.     The excuses and promises to do better offered at his
    prior reinstatement hearings are eerily familiar.
    ¶34    This record reveals a flurry of recent activity as
    Attorney    Mandelman     sought    to     fulfill        his    many       and        various
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    reinstatement requirements.                  Debts to former clients were left
    unpaid      for    years     until      he    decided     to        seek     reinstatement.
    Indeed, the referee noted that "restitution should have been
    made five years ago at least."                  Similarly, supreme court orders
    imposing costs were left unresolved for years until he decided
    to seek reinstatement.
    ¶35    The       court     also        directed     Attorney           Mandelman      to
    cooperate       with   his     former    business       partner,       Attorney       Jeffrey
    Reitz, to determine if restitution was owed in connection with
    their    partnership.           Attorney      Mandelman     did       produce       documents
    reflecting efforts to close out the trust account.                                   However,
    Attorney Mandelman provided the OLR with this information "just
    two     days"     before     the     OLR's     response        to     his     reinstatement
    petition was due.
    ¶36    Ultimately         the     referee     recommended              reinstatement,
    subject to onerous conditions that Attorney Mandelman does not
    oppose:
    1. If Mandelman chooses to practice law, prior to
    practicing law, he must notify OLR to establish
    oversight of his practice of law.
    2. Under OLR's oversight, Mandelman agrees to:
    a. Be supervised for two years by an attorney
    acceptable to OLR who would have the responsibilities
    under SCR 20:5.1(b).
    b. Arrange for the supervising attorney to file
    quarterly reports with OLR for two years.
    16
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    3. If Mandelman chooses to practice law he be
    barred from having signatory authority on any trust
    account for a period of four years.
    4. If Mandelman chooses to practice law his
    practice shall be limited to a structured environment
    and he shall not engage in solo practice for no sooner
    than ten years.
    5. Mandelman shall comply with the payment plan
    FOR costs currently in place with OLR, and any other
    court-ordered cost payments, absent a showing to the
    court of his inability to do so.
    6. If Mandelman fails to comply with any of these
    conditions, OLR shall notify the Court that Mandelman
    is   out   of   compliance    with  a   condition   of
    reinstatement, and OLR shall have the authority to
    request that the Court suspend the reinstated license
    of Michael Mandelman to practice law in Wisconsin
    until further order of the court.
    ¶37   Attorney   Mandelman    recognized     that   his    disciplinary
    history precludes reinstatement without substantial conditions,
    describing his prior efforts to maintain a solo law practice as
    a "failed model."      The extensive recommended conditions reflect
    the    referee's       misgivings      about       Attorney          Mandelman's
    reinstatement,      observing       that     "Mandelman's            substantial
    disciplinary history with recurring rule violations is of great
    concern."
    ¶38   We share those misgivings.         Conditions on practice are
    imposed to protect the public once an attorney has demonstrated
    reinstatement is warranted.         Conditions do not and should not
    lower the bar to reinstatement.
    ¶39   Attorney Mandelman has accepted responsibility for his
    misconduct,   but   the   mitigating      effect   of   his    acceptance      of
    17
    Nos.     2003AP3348-D
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    responsibility        must    be    viewed        in    relation    to     his     extensive
    disciplinary history along with the number of counts and the
    nature of his misconduct.              The hard work Attorney Mandelman has
    undertaken to restructure his life and pay past due obligations
    to clients, creditors, and the court system is commendable, but
    not sufficient to demonstrate that reinstatement is appropriate
    at this time.         He has cleaned up his act; now he must stay the
    course.       This record lacks sufficient evidence that things will
    be different if he is reinstated to the practice of law again.
    ¶40    This court is not averse to providing a second chance
    to     hold   a     law   license     to     individuals          who    clearly      accept
    responsibility for their wrongdoing and demonstrate that they
    have     a    different      attitude      toward        complying       with      both    our
    society's      general      laws    and    the      ethical    rules       that    apply    to
    attorneys      who    are    licensed      to       practice      law   in   this     state.
    In re Disciplinary Proceedings Against Balistrieri, 
    2014 WI 104
    ,
    
    358 Wis. 2d
       262,    
    852 N.W.2d 1
         (denying    reinstatement          over
    recommendation of referee).
    ¶41    However, our rules require Attorney Mandelman to prove
    that he has satisfied all of the requisite standards by clear
    and convincing evidence.               
    Id. While we
    accept the referee's
    determination that Attorney Mandelman is performing well in a
    structured        academic         environment,          the      record     is      lacking
    sufficient evidence that he is able to sustain the rigor and
    stress of a professional career, including managing significant
    loan obligations, such that he can be safely recommended to the
    18
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    legal profession, the courts, and the public as a person fit to
    be consulted by others and to represent them and otherwise act
    in matters of trust and confidence.
    ¶42       For    the   reasons    described        above,   we     conclude       that
    Attorney Mandelman has failed to meet his burden to prove that
    he   has    a    proper      understanding        of   and     attitude        toward    the
    standards imposed upon members of the bar, that he will act in
    conformity       with     those     standards,     and    that    he    can     be   safely
    recommended       as     a   person    fit   to   be     consulted      by     others,    to
    represent them, and to otherwise act in matters of trust and
    confidence.           SCR 22.29(4)(f) and (g).
    ¶43       IT IS ORDERED that the petition for reinstatement of
    the license of Michael D. Mandelman to practice law in Wisconsin
    is denied.
    ¶44       IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that within 120 days of the date
    of this order, Michael D. Mandelman shall pay to the Office of
    Lawyer      Regulation        the     full    costs       of     this     reinstatement
    proceeding.
    ¶45       REBECCA G. BRADLEY, J., did not participate.
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    ¶46    ANN WALSH BRADLEY, J.            (concurring).       I agree with
    the per curiam opinion but write separately to clarify it.                   I do
    not read the opinion to mean, nor should it be interpreted to
    indicate, that Attorney Mandelman will never again be admitted
    to the practice of law.            Rather, the record does not support
    readmission at this time.
    ¶47    Although         Attorney        Mandelman       has       accepted
    responsibility for his misconduct, the mitigating effect of his
    acceptance    of      responsibility    is   viewed   in    relation    to    his
    extensive disciplinary history along with the number of counts
    and the nature of his misconduct.
    ¶48    The referee found that Attorney Mandelman's conduct
    since   revocation       has    been    exemplary     and   above    reproach.
    Specifically, he complied with the terms of his suspension and
    revocation    orders,     maintained    competence    and   learning    in    the
    law, managed to satisfy his tax obligations, disengaged from the
    debt of his office building, maintained the mortgage of his
    home, and addressed any known civil judgments.
    ¶49    Because the August 1, 2014 order revoking his license
    to practice law was made retroactive in application, there were
    a mere four days between the order and the filing of his August
    5,   2014    petition     for   reinstatement.        Attorney      Mandelman's
    petition would be more persuasive if he could demonstrate an
    enlarged period of exemplary behavior combined with evidence of
    responsibility in employment other than as a student, together
    with responsibility in managing his debt.
    ¶50    Accordingly, I respectfully concur.
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