Title: Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Mark E. Robinson

State: wisconsin

Issuer: Wisconsin Supreme Court

Document:

2006 WI 124 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
2004AP1238-D 
 
 
COMPLETE TITLE: 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Mark E. Robinson, Attorney at Law: 
 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
          Complainant, 
     v. 
Mark E. Robinson, 
          Respondent. 
 
 
 
 
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST ROBINSON 
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
November 10, 2006   
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
        
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
        
 
COUNTY: 
        
 
JUDGE: 
        
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
        
 
DISSENTED: 
        
 
NOT PARTICIPATING:         
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
      
 
 
2006 WI 124
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The final 
version will appear in the bound 
volume of the official reports.   
No.  2004AP1238-D  
 
 
STATE OF WISCONSIN  
 
 
   : 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Mark E. Robinson, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
 
          Complainant, 
 
     v. 
 
Mark E. Robinson, 
 
          Respondent. 
 
FILED 
 
NOV 10, 2006 
 
Cornelia G. Clark 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
 
 
 
 
 
ATTORNEY reinstatement proceeding.  Reinstatement granted.   
 
¶1 
PER 
CURIAM.   We 
review 
a 
referee's 
report 
recommending that Mark E. Robinson's license to practice law in 
Wisconsin be reinstated.  The Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR) 
and the Board of Bar Examiners (BBE) have both joined in that 
favorable recommendation. 
¶2 
We 
adopt 
the 
referee's 
findings 
of 
fact 
and 
conclusions of law and conclude that Attorney Robinson's license 
to practice law should be reinstated.  We further direct 
No. 
2004AP1238-D   
 
2 
 
Attorney Robinson to pay the costs of the reinstatement 
proceeding, which total $4151.02 as of September 7, 2006. 
¶3 
Attorney Robinson was admitted to practice law in 
Wisconsin in 1991.  On June 24, 2005, this court suspended his 
license to practice law, effective August 6, 2005, for six 
months for professional misconduct consisting of engaging in 
conduct 
involving 
dishonesty, 
fraud, 
deceit, 
or 
misrepresentation; 
representing 
a 
client 
where 
the 
representation may be materially limited by the lawyer's 
responsibilities to another client or to a third person, or by 
the lawyer's own interests; violating or attempting to violate 
the Rules of Professional Conduct or knowingly assisting or 
inducing another to do so; and communicating about the subject 
of the representation of a client with a party the lawyer knows 
to be represented by another lawyer, without the consent of the 
other lawyer.  See In re Disciplinary Proceedings Against 
Robinson, 2005 WI 88, 282 Wis. 2d 216, 700 N.W.2d 757.   
¶4 
Attorney Robinson now seeks reinstatement of his 
license to practice law in Wisconsin.  John R. Decker was 
appointed referee in the matter and conducted a formal hearing 
on the reinstatement petition.  The referee filed his report and 
recommendation on August 18, 2006.  As noted above, the OLR and 
the BBE have both joined in that favorable recommendation.   
¶5 
SCR 22.31(1) provides the standard to be met for 
reinstatement of a law license.  The petitioner has the burden 
of 
demonstrating 
"by 
clear, 
satisfactory, 
and 
convincing 
evidence" that the lawyer has the moral character to practice 
No. 
2004AP1238-D   
 
3 
 
law, that the lawyer's resumption of the practice of law will 
not 
be 
detrimental 
to 
the 
administration 
of 
justice 
or 
subversive of the public interest, and that the lawyer has 
complied with SCR 22.26 and the terms of the suspension.  In 
addition, SCR 22.29(4) sets forth related requirements that a 
petition for reinstatement must show.  All of these additional 
requirements are effectively incorporated into SCR 22.31(1).1 
¶6 
The referee in this case concluded that Attorney 
Robinson had met all of the criteria for reinstatement and that 
he had met his burden of demonstrating that his license to 
practice law in Wisconsin should be reinstated.  The referee 
specifically found that Attorney Robinson has fully acknowledged 
his misconduct. 
                                                 
1 SCR 22.31(1) provides: Reinstatement hearing. 
(1)  The 
petitioner 
has 
the 
burden 
of 
demonstrating, by clear, satisfactory, and convincing 
evidence, all of the following: 
 
(a) That he or she has the moral character 
to practice law in Wisconsin. 
 
(b) That his or her resumption of the 
practice of law will not be detrimental to the 
administration of justice or subversive of the public 
interest. 
 
(c) That his or her representations in the 
petition, including the representations required by 
SCR 
22.29(4)(a) 
to 
(m) 
and 
22.29(5), 
are 
substantiated. 
 
(d) That he or she has complied fully with 
the terms of the order of suspension or revocation and 
with the requirements of SCR 22.26. 
No. 
2004AP1238-D   
 
4 
 
¶7 
After review of the record we agree that Attorney 
Robinson has established by clear, satisfactory, and convincing 
evidence that he has satisfied all the criteria necessary for 
reinstatement.  Accordingly, we adopt the referee's findings of 
fact and conclusions of law and we accept the referee's 
recommendation to reinstate Attorney Robinson's license to 
practice law in Wisconsin.  We further direct Attorney Robinson 
to pay the costs of the reinstatement proceeding. 
¶8 
IT IS ORDERED that the petition for reinstatement of 
the license of Mark E. Robinson to practice law in Wisconsin is 
granted, effective the date of this order. 
¶9 
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that within six months of the 
date of this order Mark E. Robinson pay to the Office of Lawyer 
Regulation the costs of this proceeding.  If the costs are not 
paid within the time specified, and absent a showing to this 
court of his inability to pay the costs within that time, the 
license of Mark E. Robinson to practice law in Wisconsin shall 
be suspended until further order of the court. 
 
No. 
2004AP1238-D   
 
 
 
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