Filed Date: 3/16/2000
Status: Precedential
Modified Date: 11/1/2024
Respondent was admitted to practice by this Court in 1982. He is currently suspended from practice (Matter of Farrington, 257 AD2d 914).
Respondent has not answered or otherwise appeared in response to a petition of charges and a subsequent motion for default judgment by petitioner, the Committee on Professional Standards, although both were personally served upon him. Petitioner has filed an affidavit in support of the motion and the charges. Under such circumstances, respondent is deemed to have admitted the charges and we grant the motion {see, e.g., Matter of Petrolawicz, 228 AD2d 1005).
We find respondent guilty of the following charges of professional misconduct set forth in the petition: neglect of legal matters entrusted to him by two clients, in violation of the attorney disciplinary rules {see, Code of Professional Responsibility DR 6-101 [a] [3] [22 NYCRR 1200.30 (a) (3)]) (charge I); failure to respond to communications from said clients {see, DR 1-102 [a] [5], [7] [22 NYCRR 1200.3 (a) (5), (7)]) (charge II); conversion of funds held on behalf of two clients {see, DR 1-102 [a] [4], [5], [7]; DR 9-102 [22 NYCRR 1200.3 (a) (4), (5), (7); 1200.46]) (charge III); failure to promptly notify a client of receipt of funds and to account for funds {see, DR 9-102 [c] [22 NYCRR 1200.46 (c)]) (charge IV); engaging in conflict of interest by accepting investments and a loan from a client without advising the client of the benefits and importance of obtaining independent counsel or other disinterested advice before entering the transactions {see, DR 1-102 [a] [5], [7]; DR 5-104 [22 NYCRR 1200.3 (a) (5), (7); 1200.23]) (charge V); failure to cooperate with petitioner {see, DR 1-102 [a] [5], [7] [22 NYCRR 1200.3 (a) (5), (7)]) (charge VI); and failure to comply with the rules of this Court requiring respondent to reimburse petitioner for stenographic expenses (22 NYCRR 806.4 [e]) and to file an affidavit of compliance with the order suspending him (22 NYCRR 806.9 [f|; see, DR 1-102 [a] [5] [22 NYCRR 1200.3 (a) (5)]) (charge VII). We do not find him guilty of that portion of charge III which alleged violation of DR 1-102 (a) (3) (22 NYCRR 1200.3 [a] [3]) and that portion of charge V which alleged violation of DR 5-101 (22 NYCRR 1200.20).
We conclude that respondent should be disbarred.