Pennsylvania State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Photo: Shutterstock

After pleading guilty to harassment and disorderly conduct charges, the former head of Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin's Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, office will receive a public reprimand from the state's Supreme Court.

Timothy McMahon was already forced to resign from Marshall Dennehey, Supreme Court documents said, following an incident at the Dauphin County Bench-Bar Conference in July 2017. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court entered a disciplinary decision Wednesday.

According a joint petition submitted to the disciplinary board, McMahon went to a bar on the first night of the conference, became intoxicated, and went on to make unwanted advances toward multiple women attorneys at the bar. He also "touched two of the female attorneys on sensitive areas of their bodies," court documents said. After resort staff denied him more alcohol, he "became belligerent" and was escorted to his room by four security staff members.

According to the joint petition, McMahon does not remember the events of that evening "due to his inebriation," but he did not contest that they occurred. In addition to his resignation from Marshall Dennehey, he was dismissed from the Dauphin County Bar Association, the petition noted.

In June 2018, the Bedford County District Attorney's Office charged McMahon with indecent assault, disorderly conduct and harassment. He entered the plea agreement in February and was sentenced in March to 90 days' probation for the harassment conviction and one year of probation for disorderly conduct. He was also ordered to pay fines and fees, and undergo a sex offender evaluation and a drug and alcohol evaluation.

The date of McMahon's resignation from Marshall Dennehey was March 31, according to a spokeswoman for the firm. With about $220 million in gross revenue in 2018, the firm is No. 139 on The American Lawyer's latest Am Law 200 ranking.

McMahon and the Pennsylvania Office of Disciplinary Counsel submitted the joint petition in support of discipline on consent in September. It argued that public reprimand would be a sufficient form of discipline, rather than suspension, because McMahon's conduct "did not involve ongoing inappropriate sexual behavior or multiple instances."

"Rather, respondent's misconduct was comprised of a single night of inappropriate actions that respondent asserts were prompted by his over-imbibing. Moreover, respondent was not in a position of power over any of the victims," the joint petition said.

The petition also noted that McMahon showed remorse for his actions and accepted responsibility for them, and that he "already faced significant consequences for his misconduct" because of his forced law firm resignation and dismissal from the county bar association.

McMahon was compliant throughout the disciplinary process, complied with the terms of his probation and paid his fines, and does not have other disciplinary history, the petition also said.

Pittsburgh attorney Craig Evan Simpson, who is representing McMahon in the disciplinary matter, could not be immediately reached for comment on the order Thursday.

Asked for comment Thursday, Marshall Dennehey president and CEO G. Mark Thompson said in an emailed statement: "We respect the judgement of the Disciplinary Board and will let the order speak for itself."