Title: Ohio State Bar Assn. v. Wishgard, L.L.C.

State: ohio

Issuer: Ohio Supreme Court

Document:

[Until this opinion appears in the Ohio Official Reports advance sheets, it may be cited as Ohio 
State Bar Assn. v. Wishgard, L.L.C., Slip Opinion No. 2015-Ohio-4309.] 
 
 
 
NOTICE 
This slip opinion is subject to formal revision before it is published in an 
advance sheet of the Ohio Official Reports.  Readers are requested to 
promptly notify the Reporter of Decisions, Supreme Court of Ohio, 65 
South Front Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215, of any typographical or other 
formal errors in the opinion, in order that corrections may be made before 
the opinion is published. 
 
 
SLIP OPINION NO. 2015-OHIO-4309 
OHIO STATE BAR ASSOCIATION v. WISHGARD, L.L.C., ET AL. 
[Until this opinion appears in the Ohio Official Reports advance sheets, it 
may be cited as Ohio State Bar Assn. v. Wishgard, L.L.C., Slip Opinion No. 
2015-Ohio-4309.] 
Unauthorized practice of law—Negotiating oil and gas leases on behalf of 
landowners and providing legal advice—Consent decree approved—
Injunction issued. 
(No. 2015-0921—Submitted June 24, 2015—Decided October 21, 2015.) 
ON FINAL REPORT by the Board on the Unauthorized Practice of Law 
of the Supreme Court, No. UPL 14-04. 
_______________________ 
Per Curiam. 
{¶ 1} Pursuant to Gov.Bar R. VII(5b), the Board on the Unauthorized 
Practice of Law has recommended that we approve a consent decree proposed by 
relator, Ohio State Bar Association (“OSBA”), and respondents, Wishgard, L.L.C., 
SUPREME COURT OF OHIO 
 
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and Edward Tygard.  We accept the board’s recommendation and approve the 
proposed consent decree as submitted by the parties as follows: 
 
1. OSBA is a Bar Association whose members include 
attorneys-at-law admitted to the practice of law in Ohio and who 
practices throughout the State of Ohio.  OSBA, through its 
Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee, is authorized by Gov.Bar 
R. VII to file a Complaint with the Board regarding the unauthorized 
practice of law. 
2. Respondent Wishgard, LLC (“Wishgard”) is a foreign 
limited liability company incorporated in Pennsylvania with its 
headquarters at 145 Vanceville Road, Eighty Four, PA 15330 and 
with a place of business at 104 West Main Street, Baltic, OH 43804.  
Wishgard transacts business in Ohio. 
3. At all relevant times, Respondent Edward Tygard was an 
employee, agent, and managing member of Wishgard, LLC. 
4. Respondents are not attorneys-at-law in the State of Ohio 
admitted pursuant to Gov.Bar R. I, registered pursuant to Gov.Bar 
R. VI, or certified pursuant to Gov.Bar R. II, IX, or XI. 
5. Wishgard began operations in 2010 and, at that time, its 
business was aimed at assisting landowners to organize into groups 
and negotiate terms of oil and gas leases with third-party lessees.  
During this process, Wishgard and landowners would enter into 
Agreements to Market Oil and Gas Rights.  The Agreement to 
Market Oil and Gas Rights attached to OSBA’s Complaint as 
Exhibit A is a true and accurate copy of a blank/sample Agreement.  
Pursuant to those Agreements, Wishgard negotiated oil and gas 
leases with third-parties on behalf of its landowner-clients.  
January Term, 2015 
 
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Wishgard received compensation for their services under the terms 
of those Agreements. 
6. During 2010, Wishgard also held group meetings with 
landowners to educate them about the oil and gas leasing process 
and to offer their services.  At certain times during those meetings, 
Edward Tygard, as a representative of Wishgard, held in-person 
meetings with landowners about potential oil and gas leases and 
answered specific questions about the terms of potential leases and 
the landowners’ potential legal rights and duties under the terms of 
the proposed leases. 
7. On or around January 25, 2011, Respondents received a 
letter from OSBA advising them that it received a complaint and 
information indicating that they had engaged in the unauthorized 
practice of law. 
8. Respondents promptly responded to that letter. 
9. Upon receipt of the letter from OSBA, Respondents also 
ceased negotiating oil and gas leases on behalf of landowners and, 
instead, began executing leases with landowners directly, with 
Wishgard as the named lessee therein. 
10. Respondents also immediately stopped providing legal 
advice to landowners. 
11. Therefore, since early 2011, Respondents have not 
engaged in the unauthorized practice of law. 
* * * 
12. R.C. 4705.01 provides: “No person shall be permitted to 
practice as an attorney and counselor at law, or to commence, 
conduct or defend any action or proceeding in which the person is 
not a party concerned * * * unless the person has been admitted to 
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the bar by order of the supreme court in compliance with its 
prescribed and published rules.” 
13. The unauthorized practice of law is the rendering of legal 
services for another by any person not admitted to practice law in 
Ohio.  Gov.Bar R. VII(2)(A). 
14. The practice of law is not limited to the conduct of cases 
in court, but embraces advice to clients regarding their legal rights 
and responsibilities.  Ohio State Bar Assn. v. Leingard, Inc., 126 
Ohio St.3d 400, 934 N.E.2d 337 (2010); Cincinnati Bar Assn. v. 
Foreclosure Solutions, LLC, 123 Ohio St.3d 107, 914 N.E.2d 386 
(2009); Disciplinary Counsel v. Brown, 121 Ohio St.3d 423, 905 
N.E.2d 163 (2009). 
15. The unauthorized practice of law also occurs when a 
nonattorney acts as an intermediary to advise, counsel, or negotiate 
on behalf of an individual to resolve legal claims and interests with 
third parties.  See, Ohio State Bar Assn. v. Kolodner, 103 Ohio St.3d 
504, 817 N.E.2d 25 (2004). 
* * * 
16. OSBA and Respondents have agreed that the conduct 
described in paragraphs five and six herein, namely, providing legal 
advice to others and negotiating with oil and gas lessees on behalf 
of landowners constitute the unauthorized practice of law. 
17. Respondents Wishgard, LLC and Edward Tygard, as 
well as their successors, affiliates, assigns, officers, members, 
agents, [and] representatives have ceased engaging in the conduct 
described above, they shall not engage in such conduct in the future, 
and they are hereby permanently enjoined from engaging in such 
January Term, 2015 
 
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conduct in the future and from otherwise engaging in the 
unauthorized practice of law in the State of Ohio. 
18. The parties jointly recommend that no civil penalty be 
imposed against Respondents.  The factors of Gov.Bar R. VII(8)(B) 
apply as follows: 
(1) 
The degree of cooperation provided by the 
respondent in the investigation: Respondents have cooperated fully 
in both the pre-filing and post-filing investigation of this matter.  
They promptly ceased all conduct that allegedly constituted the 
unauthorized practice of law upon receiving notice from OSBA in 
early 2011. 
(2) 
The number of occasions that unauthorized practice 
of law was committed: the unauthorized practice of law occurred 
over a matter of a few months and in a limited geographical area.  
OSBA received one complaint and the number of victims identified 
at this time is fewer than five. 
(3) 
The flagrancy of the violation: the violation was 
unknowing or unwitting, it did not include actual in-court 
representation or filings, and is far from the most severe, deliberate, 
ill-willed, or damaging conduct OSBA and the Board have seen. 
(4) 
Harm to third parties arising from the offense: the 
victims and complainants have not presented information to show 
that they were damaged by Respondent’s legal advice or 
negotiations. 
(5) 
Any other relevant factors:  after the occurrence of 
the conduct described above and after ceasing to engage in the 
conduct following receipt of the notice from the OSBA, Wishgard 
was the subject of bankruptcy proceedings in the United States 
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Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Case 
No. 13-20613-CMB.  Wishgard emerged from bankruptcy as a 
reorganized company by a plan of reorganization confirmed January 
30, 2014, effective April 7, 2014. 
19. Respondent cooperated throughout the investigation, 
admitted to the unauthorized practice of law, and agreed to cease the 
activity.  Therefore, the Panel agrees with Relator that civil penalties 
are not warranted. 
* * * 
 
Relator states that no costs have been incurred. 
So ordered. 
O’CONNOR, C.J., and PFEIFER, O’DONNELL, LANZINGER, KENNEDY, and 
O’NEILL, JJ., concur. 
FRENCH, J., dissents. 
_________________ 
Patrick W. Skilliter, Eugene P. Whetzel, and Jean Desiree Blankenship, for 
relator. 
Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease, L.L.P., Timothy B. McGranor, and 
Timothy J. Cole, for respondents. 
_________________