These disciplinary matters are before the Court on Hege’s Petition for Temporary Voluntary Surrender of License and two Review Panel reports recommending that Hege be disbarred. In both Case Nos. S03Y1506 and S03Y1507, Hege failed to timely answer the Formal Complaints filed by the State Bar and consequently the special master found him to be in default and the allegations in the complaints deemed admitted. The Review Panel adopted the special master’s findings and conclusions in each case and recommended that Hege be disbarred. In Case No. S03Y1506, a client hired Hege in December 2000 to represent him in a divorce action and paid Hege a retainer of $2,500. Although the client directed Hege to pursue discovery and made numerous inquiries by phone, fax, and mail about the status of the case, Hege failed to pursue the discovery requested, to otherwise initiate or complete work on the divorce case to prepare it for trial, or to respond to the client’s inquiries. In May 2002, the client mailed a letter to Hege discharging Hege and demanding that Hege surrender the client’s file and the retainer. After Hege failed to respond, the client sent another letter in September 2002 again requesting his file and a refund of the retainer. Hege failed to respond to the letter; failed to return the file or any unearned portion of the retainer; and failed to seek permission from the court to withdraw from the divorce case.
Based on this conduct, the special master concluded that Hege violated Rules 1.3 lawyer shall act with diligence and promptness; 1.4 lawyer shall keep client reasonably informed and promptly comply with reasonable requests for information; 1.16 a lawyer shall withdraw from representation if discharged; and 1.16 d upon termination of representation, lawyer shall take reasonable steps to protect client’s interest of the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct, all a part of Bar Rule 4-102 d disciplinary action rule, and recommended that Rule 4-103 multiple violations constitute discretionary grounds for suspension or disbarment be invoked.
