Title: John W. Gibson v.

State: wisconsin

Issuer: Wisconsin Supreme Court

Document:

SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
Case No.: 
97-1402-D 
 
 
Complete Title 
of Case: 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary 
Proceedings Against 
John W. Gibson, 
Attorney at Law. 
 
 
 
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST GIBSON. 
 
 
Opinion Filed: 
November 4, 1997. 
Submitted on Briefs: 
 
Oral Argument: 
 
 
 
Source of APPEAL 
 
COURT: 
 
 
COUNTY: 
 
 
JUDGE: 
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
Concurred: 
 
 
Dissented: 
 
 
Not Participating:  
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
 
No. 97-1402-D 
 
1 
 
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further editing and 
modification.  The final version will appear in 
the bound volume of the official reports. 
 
 
No. 97-1402-D 
 
STATE OF WISCONSIN               :        
        
 
 
 
 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against JOHN W. GIBSON, Attorney at Law. 
FILED 
 
NOV 4, 1997 
 
Marilyn L. Graves 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
Madison, WI 
 
 
 
ATTORNEY 
disciplinary 
proceeding.  Attorney’s 
license 
suspended. 
¶1 
PER CURIAM   We review the referee’s recommendation 
that the license of John W. Gibson to practice law in Wisconsin 
be suspended for 60 days as discipline for professional 
misconduct. That misconduct consisted of continuing to practice 
law 
while 
suspended 
from 
membership 
in 
the 
State 
Bar, 
misrepresenting to an opposing party in litigation that his 
client had filed for bankruptcy, having clients sign blank 
bankruptcy petitions and forms, delegating to nonlawyer staff 
the decision whether and when to file bankruptcy petitions on 
behalf of clients and failing to supervise that staff properly, 
and opposing motions by the bankruptcy trustee to dismiss 
bankruptcy petitions for failure to include repayment plans.  
¶2 
We determine that the recommended license suspension 
is appropriate discipline to impose for Attorney Gibson’s 
professional misconduct established in this proceeding. This is 
No. 97-1402-D 
 
2 
the second occasion we 
have 
had 
to discipline him for 
professional misconduct. The 
misconduct 
here 
concerns his 
dishonesty in respect to parties in litigation and to the 
bankruptcy court.  
¶3 
Attorney Gibson was admitted to practice law in 
Wisconsin in 1961 and practices in Madison. In 1985, the court 
suspended his license for 90 days as discipline for having made 
sexual advances to a woman client.  In re Disciplinary 
Proceedings Against Gibson, 124 Wis. 2d 466, 369 N.W.2d 695.  
¶4 
Attorney Gibson and counsel for the Board of Attorneys 
Professional 
Responsibility 
(Board) 
stipulated 
that 
the 
pleadings, including Attorney Gibson’s admissions and no contest 
pleas in his answer to the complaint, set forth a sufficient 
basis for a recommendation for discipline and that a 60-day 
license suspension would be appropriate. The referee, Attorney 
Norman Anderson, recommended a 60-day license suspension based 
on his review of the matters set forth in the pleadings.  
¶5 
While 
his 
membership 
in 
the 
State 
Bar 
was 
administratively suspended for failure to pay membership dues, 
Attorney Gibson appeared in court representing clients and 
engaged in the practice of law while ineligible to do so, in 
violation of SCR 10.03(4) and (6)1 and 20:8.4(f).2 While 
                     
1 SCR 10.03 provides, in pertinent part: Membership. 
 . . .  
No. 97-1402-D 
 
3 
representing a client in an eviction proceeding, Attorney Gibson 
told the plaintiff that a bankruptcy proceeding had been filed 
on behalf of his client. In response, the plaintiff canceled the 
eviction proceeding and told his counsel to pursue the matter in 
the bankruptcy proceeding. When the plaintiff learned later that 
no bankruptcy petition had been filed by the defendant, the 
plaintiff’s 
attorney 
contacted 
Attorney 
Gibson, 
who 
then 
immediately filed his client’s bankruptcy petition. That conduct 
                                                                  
(4) Only active members may practice law. No individual 
other than an enrolled active member of the state bar may 
practice law in this state or in any manner purport to be 
authorized or qualified to practice law. A judge in this state 
may allow a nonresident counsel to appear in his or her court 
and participate in a particular action or proceeding in 
association with an active member of the state bar of Wisconsin 
who appears and participates in the action or proceeding. 
Permission to the nonresident lawyer may be withdrawn by the 
judge granting it if the lawyer by his or her conduct manifests 
incompetency to represent a client in a Wisconsin court or by 
his or her unwillingness to abide by the rules of professional 
conduct for attorneys and the rules of decorum of the court.  
 . . .  
(6) Penalty for nonpayment of dues. If the annual dues of 
any member remain unpaid 120 days after the payment is due, the 
membership of the member may be suspended in the manner provided 
in the bylaws; and no person whose membership is so suspended 
for nonpayment of dues may practice law during the period of the 
suspension.  
2 SCR 20:8.4 provides, in pertinent part: Misconduct 
It is professional misconduct for a lawyer to:  
 . . .  
(f) violate a statute, supreme court rule, supreme court 
order or supreme court decision regulating the conduct of 
lawyers;  
No. 97-1402-D 
 
4 
constituted deceit or misrepresentation, in violation of SCR 
20:4.1(a)3 and 20.8.4(c).4  
¶6 
In another bankruptcy proceeding, Attorney Gibson 
signed pleadings by which he affirmed that, after reasonable 
inquiry, they were well grounded in fact and not interposed for 
any improper purpose. However, Attorney Gibson had delegated the 
decision whether and when to file those pleadings to a nonlawyer 
employee, whom he failed to supervise properly. He or his staff 
had the client sign blank petitions, plans and schedules that 
were later filled in by himself or by his staff, and the 
petition was filed while he was vacation. Attorney Gibson and 
his staff failed to file timely a repayment plan and complete 
schedules. His subsequent opposition to a motion by the 
bankruptcy trustee to dismiss the bankruptcy petition for 
failure to file a plan was deemed frivolous by the court, and 
                     
3 SCR 20:4.1 provides, in pertinent part: Truthfulness in 
statements to others 
In the course of representing a client a lawyer shall not 
knowingly:  
(a) make a false statement of a material fact or law to a 
third person;   
4 SCR 20:8.4 provides, in pertinent part: Misconduct 
It is professional misconduct for a lawyer to: 
 . . .  
(c) engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit 
or misrepresentation;  
No. 97-1402-D 
 
5 
Attorney 
Gibson was ordered 
to pay 
a penalty 
and 
make 
restitution.  
¶7 
In another bankruptcy proceeding, Attorney Gibson 
allowed his nonlawyer employee to decide to file a petition on 
behalf of the client, but that was done without the inclusion of 
a repayment plan or the necessary schedules. Attorney Gibson or 
his staff had that client sign blank petitions, plans and 
schedules, notwithstanding that the bankruptcy rules specified 
that the signature of a party certifies that the party has read 
the document and that it is well grounded in fact. A repayment 
plan was not filed timely for this client, and the bankruptcy 
court held Attorney Gibson’s objection to the bankruptcy 
trustee’s motion to dismiss the proceeding for failure to file 
the plan frivolous and required Attorney Gibson to reimburse the 
bankruptcy trustee and pay a penalty.  
¶8 
Attorney Gibson’s conduct in these bankruptcy matters 
violated the rules requiring his supervision of nonlawyer 
assistants, SCR 20:5.3 (b) and (c).5 In addition, his advancement 
                     
5 SCR 20:5.3 provides, in pertinent part: Responsibilities 
regarding nonlawyer assistants 
With respect to a nonlawyer employed or retained by or 
associated with a lawyer:  
 . . .  
(b) A lawyer having direct supervisory authority over the 
nonlawyer shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that the 
person’s conduct is compatible with the professional obligations 
of the lawyer; and  
No. 97-1402-D 
 
6 
of non-meritorious claims and contentions in opposing the 
bankruptcy trustees’ dismissal motions violated SCR 20:3.1(a)(1) 
and (2),6 he failed to give competent representation to the 
clients, 
in 
violation 
of 
SCR 
20:1.1,7 
and 
he 
made 
misrepresentations, in violation of SCR 20:8.4(c).  
¶9 
As discipline for his misconduct in these matters, the 
parties stipulated and the referee recommended that Attorney 
                                                                  
(c) A lawyer shall be responsible for conduct of such a 
person that would be a violation of the Rules of Professional 
Conduct if engaged in by a lawyer if:  
(1) the lawyer orders or, with the knowledge of the 
specific conduct, ratifies the conduct involved; or 
(2) the lawyer is a partner in the law firm in which the 
person is employed, or has direct supervisory authority over the 
person, and knows of the conduct at a time when its consequences 
can be avoided or mitigated but fails to take reasonable 
remedial action.  
6 SCR 20:3.1 provides, in pertinent part: Meritorious claims 
and contentions 
(a) In representing a client, a lawyer shall not:  
(1) 
knowingly 
advance 
a 
claim 
or 
defense 
that 
is 
unwarranted under existing law, except that the lawyer may 
advance such claim or defense if it can be supported by good 
faith argument for an extension, modification or reversal of 
existing law;  
(2) knowingly advance a factual position unless there is a 
basis for doing so that is not frivolous;  
7 SCR 20:1.1 provides: Competence 
A lawyer shall provide competent representation to a 
client. Competent representation requires the legal knowledge, 
skill, thoroughness and preparation reasonably necessary for the 
representation.  
No. 97-1402-D 
 
7 
Gibson’s license to practice law be suspended for 60 days. We 
accept that recommendation as the appropriate response to this 
misconduct.  
¶10 IT IS ORDERED that the license of John W. Gibson to 
practice law in Wisconsin is suspended for 60 days, commencing 
December 8, 1997, as discipline for professional misconduct.  
¶11 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that within 60 days of the date 
of this order John W. Gibson pay to the Board of Attorneys 
Professional Responsibility 
the costs 
of this 
proceeding, 
provided that 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 John W. Gibson to 
practice law in Wisconsin shall remain suspended until further 
order of the court.  
¶12 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that John W. Gibson comply with 
the provisions of SCR 22.26 concerning the duties of a person 
whose license to practice law in Wisconsin has been suspended.  
¶13 SHIRLEY 
S. 
ABRAHAMSON, 
CHIEF 
JUSTICE, 
did 
not 
participate.  
 
 
1