In the Matter of N.S., the majority of the Disciplinary Review Board (DRB) voted for a three-month suspension for an attorney who had committed serial misrepresentations and falsified a court order. Two members voted for censure.
Respondent, a lawyer admitted in 2002 with no prior disciplinary record, was an associate at a law firm. In handling one small matter for the firm’s client in 2011, respondent undertook his journey of misrepresentations early in the litigation by informing the court, after default had been entered against respondent’s client, that a previously filed answer had contained a stipulation for an extension to file. This was false. The attorney continued his misconduct: He settled the matter without his client’s consent or knowledge. To get his client to agree to the unauthorized settlement, after the fact, he created a fictitious summary judgment paradigm, even drafting a brief and sending it to his client for approval. To further support that myth, he affixed the signature of the judge to the order for summary judgment against his client. His misconduct included serial misrepresentations to his client, misrepresentation to the court, settling a case without authority, and forging a judge’s signature to a fabricated order.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.
For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]
