This disciplinary matter is before the Court pursuant to the Report of the Special Master regarding Respondent Jeffrey Bull Grable’s third petition for voluntary discipline filed pursuant to Bar Rule 4-227 c after the issuance of a Formal Complaint. In his petition, Grable requests the imposition of a six-month suspension from the practice of law for his admitted violations of Standards 22 and 44 of Bar Rule 4-102 d and his violations of Rule 9.3 of the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct also set forth in Bar Rule 4-102 d. Although Grable is subject to disbarment for his admitted violations, the Court will accept his petition. In State Disciplinary Board “SDB” Docket No. 4251, Grable admits that he represented a client beginning in July 1999 in a consumer case involving her dispute with a lender about automobile payments. Although Grable agreed to file suit on her behalf and she gave Grable funds for the filing fee, Grable failed to file suit, to inform her as to the status of her case, or to respond to her inquiries. In August 2000, Grable closed his private practice and began working for a government agency but failed to inform the client that he had closed his office or that he had not filed the lawsuit. After learning that Grable closed his practice, the client requested the return of the filing fee, her client file, and certain personal property taken from her automobile by the lender and given to Grable. Grable failed to promptly return the filing fee or personal property and could not give the client’s file to her due to his failure to properly maintain it. Grable also failed to timely answer the Notice of Investigation in this case as required by Bar Rule 4-204.3 a.
In SDB Docket No. 4252, Grable admits that beginning in September or October 1999, he represented a client in a medical malpractice case involving the death of the client’s sister and agreed to file suit on behalf of the client, as the representative of his sister’s estate. However, Grable failed to file suit, to inform the client as to the status of the case, to respond to his inquiries, or to inform the client when Grable closed his law practice. Grable also could not return the client’s file, which the client requested, because Grable failed to properly maintain the file, and it is now too late for the client to file the lawsuit. Grable also failed to timely answer the Notice of Investigation in this case as required by Bar Rule 4-204.3 a.
