In re Williams

W. Barry Williams has filed a Petition for Voluntary Discipline. In his petition, Williams admits violating Standard 44 of Bar Rule 4-102 d in two disciplinary cases and seeks imposition of an indefinite suspension with conditions. The State Bar recommends that this Court accept his petition and we agree.

In the first case, Williams admits that he accepted a fee of $2,500 in a declaratory judgment case, did not keep his client informed about the case’s status, failed to respond to a summary judgment motion or attend a hearing on the motion, and did not notify his client that summary judgment had been entered against him. In the second case, Williams acknowledges that he accepted a fee of $1,500 to represent a client in an estate dispute, failed to properly communicate with the client after he filed a complaint, and did not notify the client when her case was dismissed. Williams admits that his conduct in each case constitutes a violation of Standard 44 of Bar Rule 4-102 d, which prohibits a lawyer from wilfully abandoning or disregarding a legal matter to the detriment of his client. In addition, Williams acknowledges that a State Bar committee has awarded a former client $2,760 in a fee arbitration dispute.