Title: Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Maureen B. Fitzgerald

State: wisconsin

Issuer: Wisconsin Supreme Court

Document:

2006 WI 58 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
2005AP1065-D 
 
 
COMPLETE TITLE: 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Maureen B. Fitzgerald, Attorney at Law: 
 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
          Complainant, 
     v. 
Maureen B. Fitzgerald, 
          Respondent. 
 
 
 
 
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST FITZGERALD 
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
June 2, 2006   
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
        
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
        
 
COUNTY: 
        
 
JUDGE: 
        
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
        
 
DISSENTED: 
        
 
NOT PARTICIPATING:         
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
      
 
 
2006 WI 58
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The final 
version will appear in the bound 
volume of the official reports.   
No.  2005AP1065-D 
 
 
STATE OF WISCONSIN  
 
 
   : 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Maureen B. Fitzgerald, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
 
          Complainant, 
 
     v. 
 
Maureen B. Fitzgerald, 
 
          Respondent. 
 
FILED 
 
JUN 2, 2006 
 
Cornelia G. Clark 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
 
 
 
 
 
ATTORNEY 
disciplinary 
proceeding.   
Attorney's 
license 
suspended.   
 
¶1 
PER CURIAM.   We review the recommendation of the 
referee, Michael Ash, that the license of Attorney Maureen B. 
Fitzgerald to practice law in Wisconsin be suspended for 90 days 
for professional misconduct and that she be required to pay the 
costs of this proceeding, which are $6844.07 as of March 14, 
2006.  Attorney Fitzgerald did not appeal the referee's report 
and recommendation. 
No.  2005AP1065-D   
 
2 
 
¶2 
We 
adopt 
the 
referee's 
findings 
of 
fact 
and 
conclusions of law and agree that the seriousness of Attorney 
Fitzgerald's misconduct warrants the suspension of her license 
to practice law in Wisconsin for a period of 90 days.  We 
further agree that she should pay the costs of this proceeding. 
¶3 
Attorney Fitzgerald was admitted to practice law in 
Wisconsin in 1995 and practices in Milwaukee, primarily in the 
area of criminal law.  By order dated May 9, 2006, Attorney 
Fitzgerald's license to practice law was temporarily suspended 
for failure to cooperate in grievance investigations currently 
pending in the Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR).  She has no 
other disciplinary history. 
¶4 
On April 26, 2005, the OLR filed a complaint alleging 
six counts of misconduct with respect to Attorney Fitzgerald's 
handling of two personal injury actions.  On September 11, 1999, 
M.R. retained Attorney Fitzgerald to represent her in connection 
with an auto accident M.R. had been involved in a few days 
earlier.  M.R. and Attorney Fitzgerald entered into a written 
contingent fee agreement.   
¶5 
On October 1, 1999, M.R. was involved in a second auto 
accident. 
 
Attorney 
Fitzgerald 
also 
represented 
M.R. 
in 
connection with the second accident, but no written contingent 
fee agreement was signed for this second accident. 
¶6 
The other drivers in both accidents were uninsured, 
and uninsured motorist coverage was available under M.R.'s own 
insurance policy issued by Ohio Casualty.  Ohio Casualty 
assigned claim numbers to both accidents.  The only payment made 
No.  2005AP1065-D   
 
3 
 
by Ohio Casualty in the two claims was $159 in payment of one 
medical bill.  Ohio Casualty made inquiries to Attorney 
Fitzgerald regarding the two claims but when it did not receive 
prompt reply to its inquiries, Ohio Casualty closed out both 
files without a settlement in either case. 
¶7 
On or about February 18, 2003, Attorney Fitzgerald 
informed M.R. that Ohio Casualty was willing to settle her 
claims for a total of $5000.22 and would also pay her medical 
bills.  In fact, no such offer was made.   
¶8 
To perpetuate the ruse that a settlement had been made 
with Ohio Casualty, Attorney Fitzgerald deposited funds obtained 
from the estate of her grandfather and from a personal loan into 
her business account.  She then transferred the funds into her 
trust account, commingling her personal funds with her client 
funds, for the purpose of utilizing such funds to pay M.R. her 
proportionate share of the purported settlement.   
¶9 
On or about June 12, 2003, Attorney Fitzgerald sent 
M.R. a check payable from her trust account in the amount of 
$3333.48 for the purported purpose of resolving M.R.'s claims 
and releasing Ohio Casualty.  To further perpetuate the ruse 
that 
a 
settlement 
had 
been 
reached, 
Attorney 
Fitzgerald 
forwarded to M.R. for her signature a purported document that 
would release Ohio Casualty from any claims.  In fact, Ohio 
Casualty had never issued a release with regard to M.R.'s 
claims.   
¶10 Although 
the 
fee 
agreement 
entitled 
Attorney 
Fitzgerald to 33 1/3 percent of any monies recovered by M.R., in 
No.  2005AP1065-D   
 
4 
 
order to placate M.R. because she was unhappy about the length 
of time it took to obtain the settlement, Attorney Fitzgerald 
offered to forego her fees and remit to M.R. the rest of the 
"settlement" money.  Attorney Fitzgerald had received no funds 
from Ohio Casualty. 
¶11 The OLR's complaint alleged the following counts of 
misconduct with respect to Attorney Fitzgerald's handling of 
M.R.'s case: 
COUNT ONE—By failing to reduce the contingent fee 
agreement in the second accident matter to writing, 
Fitzgerald 
failed 
to 
enter 
into 
a 
written 
fee 
agreement with regard to M.R.'s second accident, in 
violation of SCR 20:1.5(c).1 
COUNT TWO—By failing to reply to inquiries from Ohio 
[Casualty] concerning the claims, which resulted in 
Ohio closing their files without a settlement for 
M.R., 
Fitzgerald 
failed 
to 
act 
with 
reasonable 
diligence and promptness in representing a client, in 
violation of SCR 20:1.3.2 
                                                 
1 SCR 20:1.5(c) provides:  Fees 
 
(c) A fee may be contingent on the outcome of the 
matter for which the service is rendered . . . . A 
contingent fee agreement shall be in writing and shall 
state the method by which the fee is to be determined, 
including the percentage or percentages that shall 
accrue to the lawyer in the event of settlement, trial 
or appeal, litigation and other expenses to be 
deducted from the recovery, and whether such expenses 
are to be deducted before or after the contingent fee 
is calculated.  Upon conclusion of a contingent fee 
matter, the lawyer shall provide the client with a 
written statement stating the outcome of the matter 
and if there is a recovery, showing the remittance to 
the client and the method of its determination. 
2 SCR 20:1.3 states that "[a] lawyer shall act with 
reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client." 
No.  2005AP1065-D   
 
5 
 
COUNT THREE—By asserting to M.R. that Ohio [Casualty] 
had made a settlement offer for the sum of $5000.22, 
in addition to M.R.'s medical bills being paid, and by 
not telling M.R. that Ohio [Casualty] had made no such 
offer and, in fact, had closed their files without a 
settlement being reached, Fitzgerald failed to keep 
her client reasonably informed about the status of a 
matter, in violation of SCR 20:1.4(a).3 
COUNT FOUR—By depositing personal funds into her trust 
account, Fitzgerald failed to hold in trust, separate 
from the lawyer's own property, that property of 
clients and third parties that is in the lawyer's 
possession 
in 
connection 
with 
representation, 
in 
violation of [former] SCR 20:1.15(a).4 
COUNT FIVE—By asserting to M.R. that Ohio [Casualty] 
had made a settlement of her claims, by fabricating a 
release from Ohio [Casualty] and forwarding it to her 
client for signature, by offering to forego her 
attorney 
fees 
in 
order 
to 
perpetuate 
a 
misrepresentation that Ohio [Casualty] had paid a 
settlement on M.R.'s claims, and by forwarding a check 
to M.R. purporting to be a settlement of her claim, 
Fitzgerald engaged in conduct involving dishonesty, 
                                                 
3 SCR 20:1.4(a) provides that "[a] lawyer shall keep a 
client reasonably informed about the status of a matter and 
promptly comply with reasonable requests for information." 
4 Former SCR 20:1.15 applies to misconduct committed prior 
to July 1, 2004.  Former SCR 20:1.15(a) provided in pertinent 
part:  Safekeeping property. 
 
(a) A lawyer shall hold in trust, separate from 
the lawyer's own property, that property of clients 
and third persons that is in the lawyer's possession 
in connection with a representation or when acting in 
a fiduciary capacity. . . . The trust account shall be 
clearly designated as "Client's Account" or "Trust 
Account" or words of similar import.  No funds 
belonging to the lawyer or law firm, except funds 
reasonably sufficient to pay or avoid imposition of 
account service charges, may be deposited in such an 
account. . . . 
No.  2005AP1065-D   
 
6 
 
fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation, in violation of 
SCR 20:8.4(c).5 
¶12 The OLR's complaint also alleged that during the 
course of its investigation Attorney Fitzgerald advised the 
OLR's staff that Ohio Casualty had agreed to extend the 
applicable statute of limitations, when that information was not 
true.  Attorney Fitzgerald also provided to the OLR the 
purported release of Ohio Casualty, which document had been 
fabricated by Attorney Fitzgerald to convince M.R. that a 
settlement of the case had been reached.  Attorney Fitzgerald 
failed to inform the OLR's staff that the funds sent to M.R. 
were not settlement proceeds from Ohio Casualty but were in fact 
Attorney Fitzgerald's own personal funds.  Attorney Fitzgerald 
also told the OLR investigator that M.R.'s medical bills had 
been paid by Ohio Casualty when in fact Attorney Fitzgerald 
herself had paid the bills from her business account.  The OLR's 
complaint alleged the following count of misconduct with respect 
to Attorney Fitzgerald's communications with the OLR during the 
investigation of M.R.'s grievance: 
COUNT 
SIX—By 
asserting 
to 
OLR 
staff 
that 
Ohio 
[Casualty] had agreed to extend the statute of 
limitations when there had been no such agreement, by 
providing OLR with a fabricated release from Ohio 
[Casualty], by failing to inform OLR staff that the 
funds sent to M.R. were not settlement proceeds but 
were in fact her personal funds, and by failing to 
advise OLR staff that she (Fitzgerald) had personally 
paid M.R.'s medical bills, Fitzgerald, in the course 
                                                 
5 SCR 20:8.4(c) states that it is professional misconduct 
for a lawyer to "engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, 
deceit or misrepresentation." 
No.  2005AP1065-D   
 
7 
 
of an OLR investigation, willfully failed to provide 
relevant 
information, 
willfully 
failed 
to 
answer 
questions fully, willfully failed to furnish authentic 
documents, and also made misrepresentations in a 
disclosure, in violation of SCR 22.03(6).6 
¶13 Attorney Fitzgerald filed an answer admitting many, 
but not all, of the allegations in the OLR's complaint.  A 
hearing was held before the referee on November 14, 2005.  In 
his report the referee concluded that the OLR established all of 
the counts in its complaint by clear, satisfactory, and 
convincing evidence.  The referee recommended that Attorney 
Fitzgerald's license to practice law be suspended for a period 
of 90 days and that she be ordered to pay the full costs of the 
proceeding. 
 
In 
making 
the 
recommendation 
for 
a 
90-day 
suspension, 
the 
referee 
pointed 
to 
Attorney 
Fitzgerald's 
persistent dishonesty, even while under oath at the hearing.  
The referee also noted, however, that Attorney Fitzgerald had an 
otherwise unblemished record, the professional misconduct was 
relatively minor and harmed only one client, and Attorney 
Fitzgerald was willing to use her own money to try to make 
things right with that client.   
¶14 This court will adopt a referee's findings of fact 
unless they are clearly erroneous.  Conclusions of law are 
reviewed de novo.  See In re Disciplinary Proceedings Against 
                                                 
6 SCR 22.03(6) provides that "[i]n the course of the 
investigation, 
the 
respondent's wilful 
failure 
to provide 
relevant information, to answer questions fully, or to furnish 
documents and the respondent's misrepresentation in a disclosure 
are misconduct, regardless of the merits of the matters asserted 
in the grievance." 
No.  2005AP1065-D   
 
8 
 
Eisenberg, 2004 WI 14, ¶5, 269 Wis. 2d 43, 675 N.W.2d 747.  The 
court may impose whatever sanction it sees fit regardless of the 
referee's recommendation.  See In re Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Widule, 2003 WI 34, ¶44, 261 Wis. 2d 45, 660 N.W.2d 686.  
After careful review of the record, we conclude that the 
referee's findings of fact are not clearly erroneous, and we 
adopt them.  We also agree with the conclusions of law that flow 
from the referee's findings of fact.  In addition, we agree with 
the referee that the seriousness of Attorney Fitzgerald's 
misconduct warrants the suspension of her license to practice 
law in Wisconsin for a period of 90 days.   
¶15 IT IS ORDERED that the license of Attorney Maureen B. 
Fitzgerald to practice law in Wisconsin is suspended for a 
period of 90 days, effective the date of this order. 
¶16 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this suspension does not 
affect the temporary suspension previously imposed for Attorney 
Fitzgerald's 
failure 
to 
cooperate 
in 
pending 
grievance 
investigations. 
¶17 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Attorney Maureen B. 
Fitzgerald shall comply, if she has not already done so, with 
the requirements of SCR 22.26 pertaining to activities following 
suspension. 
¶18 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that within 60 days of the date 
of this order Attorney Maureen B. Fitzgerald shall 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 her inability to pay the costs within 
No.  2005AP1065-D   
 
9 
 
that time, the license of Attorney Maureen B. Fitzgerald to 
practice law in Wisconsin shall remain suspended until further 
order of the court. 
 
 
No.  2005AP1065-D   
 
 
 
1