Title: KENTUCKY BAR ASSOCIATION V. LUANN C. GLIDEWELL

State: kentucky

Issuer: Kentucky Supreme Court

Document:

"$-Uyr1rMr (%'9-1/ourf of KENTUCKY BAR ASSOCIATION 2009-SC-000402--KB V. IN SUPREME COURT OPINION AND ORDER 'f() 131"; PL1111,1~111"1) _1_1~10~09__C IVI()VANT LUANN C. GLIDEWELL 1*,SI)ONDENT The Kentucky Bar Association (KBA) petitions this Court pursm nt to SCR 3 .370(8) to determine the limited issue of whether Luann Cxlidewell, whose KBA member number is 83981 and whose bar roster address is 100 North 611, Street, Stn Floor, Louisville, Kentucky, 40202, is guilty of violating SCR 3 .130- 8.3(c)', which prohibits a lawyer from engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, or misrepresentation . If this Court finds Glidewell guilty of violating SCR 3.130-8 .4(c), the KBA has also requested that we adopt the remainder of the findings of fact, conclusions of law, and recommendations of the Board of Governors, who found Glidewell guilty of sixteen counts of professional misconduct and proposed that she be suspended from the practice Effective July 15, 2009, SCR 3 .130-8 .3 has been renumbered to SCR 3 .130-8 .4 . This renumbering will be reflected throughout this opinion and order . of law for 181 dhiys . After reviewing the faCts underlyir11 t1ICSC ClMrges, WC agree that Glidewell is guilty of violating SCR 3 .130-8 .4(c) and adopt the KBA's recommended discipline . KBA File 16917 Glidewell was admitted to the practice of law in this Commonwealth can October 17, 1991 . In January 2002, Glidewell agreed to represent Roxanna Kirk iii her personal injury claim and filed her lawsuit In April 2003 . On . October 7, 2004, the trial court ordered all parties involved in the case to show cause why Kirk's claim should not be dismissed . Glidewell failed to appear or respond to the show cause motion, and the trial court dismissed Kirk's case on January 19, 2005 . Following the dismissal, Kirk made numerous attempts to contact Glidewell, but Glidewell never responded . After learning that her case had been dismissed, Kirk retained new counsel and pursued a legal malpractice claim against Glidewell . Glidewell never appeared or filed any responsive pleadings to the malpractice complaint, which resulted in Kirk receiving a default judgment in June 2006 . Kirk filed a bar complaint against Glidewell on August 28, 2008, but after attempting to serve the complaint, the KBA learned that Glidewell's bar roster address was not valid . The complaint was eventually served through the Executive Director of the KBA pursuant to SCR 3.175(2) on December 17, 2008 . Despite the inclusion of a letter notifying Glidewell of her duty to respond, and a reminder letter sent on January 8, 2009, Glidewell never responded to the bar complaint . On March 6, 2009, the IncyAry ('cmimissiorl issued its scV(, r1-( ,()1,111t charge against. (Ifidewell, alleging that she violated SCR ,3 .130-1 .1. for failing to provide competent representation to her client: ; SCR 3 .1 ;30-1 .3 for failing to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing her client ; SCR 3 .130-1 .4(a) for failing to keep her client reasonably informed about the start t.is of her case and failing to promptly comply with reasonable requests for iriOrmation ; SCR 3 .130- .1 .4(b) for failing to explain a mattcr to the extent . reasonably necessary to permit the client to make informed decisions abotit the representation ; SCR 3 .130-1 .16(d) for failing to take the necessary steps to protect a client's interest upon the termination of the representation ; SCR 3 .130-8 .1(b) for knowingly failing to respond to a lawful demand for information from a disciplinary authority ; and SCR 3 .175(l)(a) for failing to maintain a current address with the Director of the KBA . On July 10, 2009, the Board of governors issued its findings of fact- and conclusions of law. The Board unanimously found that Glidewell was guilty of all seven counts charged in KBA File 16917 and recommended that she be suspended for 181 days for her misconduct . This Court agrees with the Board's conclusion that Glidewell is guilty of violating SCR 3 .130-1 .1, 1 .3, 1 .4(a), 1 .4(b), 1 .16(d), 8 .1(b), and SCR 3 .175(l)(a), and that a 181-day suspension is an appropriate sanction . KBA File 16877 In the summer of 2007, Glidewell agreed to represent Edward Morris in a civil matter . Although Morris provided Glidewell with all the necessary documents to proceed in his c-~ase, Glidewell failed to file III n for relief from the default judgment . Glidewell responded in emails on or about June 30, 2008, and July 1, 2008, notifying Smith that she would file Morris's motion to set aside the judgment . Not only did Glidewell fail to file this motion, but also, Glidewell was precluded from filing such a motion because during this time, she was suspended from the practice of law in this Commonwealth . On November 1, 2007, this Court had entered a confidential order suspending Glidewell for forty-five days for violating SCR 3 .130-1 .3, 1 .4(a), 1 .4(b), 1 .16(d), and 8 .1 (b) during her representation of David Cook in a pending divorce action . Glidewell's 45-day suspension commenced on December 1, 2007, and this Court rendered an opinion in support of its order of suspension on December 20, 2007 . Kentucky Bar Association v. Glidewell , 241 S .W .3d 316 (Ky . 2007) . Although suspensions lasting less than 181 days normally expire on their own terms pursuant to SCR 3.510, the KBA objected to Glidewell's automatic reinstatement on January 2, 2008 . Following the KBA's objection, Glidewell and the KBA pxirticiptldLICt sirrriklr - to Glidewell's . KBA v. Howard , 279 S .W.3d 519 (Ky . 2009) (SLrsperadilily all attorney, who had previously been publicly reprimanded sand suspended fc>r 90 days, for 181 days for being found guilty of ten counts of proiessiorlal misconduct involving three different clients) ; KBA v . (lrady , 2(-)0 S .W .3d 784 (Ky. 2008) (imposing a 181-day suspension on an attorney who had previously been sl spended for falling to pay his bar dues and who committed srx co-nts of professional misconduct, including violations of SCR 3 .130-1 .3 1 1 .4(b), 3 .4(c), and 8 .3(c)) . Therefore, it is hereby ORDERED that : 1 . Luann C . Glidewell is guilty of all seventeen counts of professional misconduct as charged in KBA Files 16917 arid 16877, including SCR 3.130-8 .3(c) (now 8 .4(c)) . 2 . Luann C . Glidewell is suspended from the practice of law in this Commonwealth for 181 days . The period of suspension shall commence on the date of entry of this order . 3 . Pursuant to SCR 3 .450, Luann C. Glidewell is directed to pay all costs associated with these disciplinary proceedings in the amount of $827.47 ($497 .17 for KBA File 16917 and $330 .30 for KBA File 16877), for which execution may issue from this Court upon finality of this Opinion and Order. 4 . Pursuant to SCR 3 .390, Luann C. Glidewell shall, within ten (10) days from the entry of this opinion and order, notify all clients, in writing, of her inability to represent them ; notify, in writing, all courts in which she has matters pending- of her stispensiort from dic prwlic(e ol'Liw ; and furnish copies of all letters ofnoficc to the Exccl-ttive Dircctor of the Kentucky Bar Associa tion . Furthermore, to tli(- extent possible, Glidewell shall immediately cancel and cease any ,idverbsing activit.ics in which she is engaged . All sitting . All concur . ENTERED : October 29, 2009 .