In th e S u p re m e Co u rt o f Ge o rg ia

De c id e d: Ma rc h 2

, 2 0 1 5

S 1 4 Y1 8 2 5 . IN THE MATTER OF JEF F REY L. S AKAS

.

P ER CURIAM.

Th is d isc ip lin a ry m a tte r is b e fo re th e Co urt o n th e pe titio n fo r v o lu n ta ry

d isc ip lin e file d b y Je ffre y L. S a k a s (S ta te Ba r No

. 6 2 2 2 5 0 ), s e e k i n g th e

im p o sitio n o f a p u b lic re p rim a n d fo r h is n e g l e c t o f m a tte rs in vo lv in g fo u r

c lie n ts. Ha vin g c on sid e re d th e re c o rd an d th e m itig a tin g fa c to rs p re se n te d

, th e

Co u rt a gre e s to a c c e p t th e p e titio n

.

Th e re c o rd sh o ws th a t S a k a s wa s a d m itte d to th e Ba r i n 1 9 7 3

. In

c o n n e c tio n with S ta t e Di s c ip lin a ry Bo a rd Do c k e t (“ S DBD” ) No

. 62 84

, S a ka s

a g re e d to re pre se n t a c lie n t in 2 0 0 8 in c o nn e c tio n with a p e rso n a l in ju ry c la im

,

b u t d id no t ta k e a c tio n o n b e h a lf o f th e c lie n t a n d did n ot p ro p e rly te rm in a te th e

re p re se n ta tio n

. In c o n n e c tio n with S DBD No

. 6 2 17

, Sa k a s wa s re ta in e d in 2 0 0 8

b y a c lie n t to se e k a d d itio n a l c o m p e n s a tio n fo r u n p a id sp e c ia l da m a g e s in

c o n n e c tio n with a n a

uto m o b ile a c c id e n t a fte r th e c lie n t h a d a lre a d y re c e iv e d a

se ttle m e n t fro m th e a t-fa u lt d riv e r. S a k a s file d su it a g a in st th e c lie n t’s in su re r,b u t fa ile d to a n swe r d isc o v e ry , an d th e su it wa s d ism isse d

. I n c o n n e c t i o nw i t h

S DBD No

. 6 2 5 4

, S a k a s wa s re ta in e d b y a c lie n t in 2 0 0 7 to p u rsu e a n e g lig e n c e

a c tio n a g a in st two de fe n d a n ts. S a k a s file d su it in Cla y to n Co u nty

, b u t wa s

u n a b le to pe rfe c t se rv ic e o n th e d e fe n d a n ts. S a k a s su b se q u e n tly b e c a m e a wa re

th a t th e d e fe n d a n ts we re lo c a te d in De Ka lb Co un ty

, so h e d ism isse d th e Cla y to n

Co u n ty a c tio n a n d re -file d in De Ka lb Co u n ty

. He m a d e e x h a u stiv e a tte m

p ts to

se rv e th e d e fe n d a n ts, b u t w a s u n a b le to d o so

, a nd th e tria l c o urt d ism isse d th e

a c tio n

. F in a lly

, in c o n n e c tio n with S DBD 64 10

, S a k a s fa ile d to re sp o n d to

d isc o v e ry o n b e h a lf o f a c lie nt, a n d th e c lie n t wa s sa n c tio n e d $ 7 5 0 b y th e tria l

c o u rt.

S a k a s a d m its th a t by th is c o n d u c t h e h a s vio la te d Ru le s 1.3 a n d 1 .4 o f th e

Ge o rg ia R

u l e s o f P ro fe ssio n a l Co n d u c t fo u n d in Ba r Ru le 4 -1 0 2 (d ). Th e

m a x im um sa n c tio n fo r a v io la tio n o f Ru le 1

. 3 i s d i s b arm e nt a n d fo r 1 .4 is a

p u b lic re p rim a

n d

.

Th e re c ord sh ows th e fo llo win g in m itig a tio n : du rin g th e tim e p e rio d th is

c o n d u c t o c c u rre d

, S a k a s wa s su ffe rin g a d isa bility c a u se d b y a c o m

b in a tio n o f

fa c to rs, in c lu d i n g s e v e re sle e p a p n e a

, h e a rt p ro b le m s, re a c tio n to p re sc rib e d

m e d ic a tio n

, a n d e m otio n a l p ro b le m s re l a t e d to a d iffic u lt d iv o rc e

. S in c e

2re c e iv in g tre a tm e n t a nd re so lv in g h is p e rso n a l m arita l c o n flic ts, h e h a s n o t h a d

a n y a d d itio n a l c o m

p la in ts re g a rd in g h is la w p ra c tic e a n d h e i s n o w a b le to

fu n c tio n o n th e h ig h le v e l re q u ire d o f a p ra c tic in g a tto rn e y

.

Ad d itio n a lly

, th e re c ord re fle c ts th a t S a k a s is d e e ply re m o rse fu l; th a t h e

h a s ta k e n th e in itia tiv e o f h a v in g h is c a se s m o nito re d b y e x p e rie n c e d le g a l sta ff

to in su re th a t h e is k e p t on sc h e d u le a n d will a v o id th e m i s t a k e s h e h a s m a d e ;

th a t h e h a s c o n tin u e d to se e k su ffic ie n t m e d ic a l tre a tm e nt fo r b o th h is h e a rt

c o n d itio n a n d se v e re sle e p a p n e a ; th a t b o th issu e s a re m e d ic a lly u n d e r c o n tro l

a n d are we ll-tre a te d ; th a t a t th e tim e o f th e se o c c u r r e n c e s, S a ka s wa s a so le

p ra c titio n e r with ou t th e be n e fit o f fu ll-tim e a ssista n c e a n d p artn e rsh ip

, b u t th a t

sin c e re c e iv in g m e d ic a l tre a tm e n t a n d re so lv in g h is m e d ic a l p ro b le m s, h e wa s

a sk e d to j o i n t h e p ra c tic e with two o th e r la wy e rs, a n d th e th re e m e n fo rm e d a

p a rtn e rsh ip in 2 0 11 ; a n d th a t h e n o w b e n e fits fro m bo th fu ll- a nd p a rt-tim e le g a l

a ssista n ts a n d a fu l l y

- s t a f f e d a n d fu n c tio n in g o ffic e

. Th e re c o rd re fle c ts th a t

S a k a s h a s ta k e n ste p s to re c tify t h e c o n se q u e n c e s o f h is a c tio n s, in c lu d in g

e n te rin g in to fin a n c ia l se ttle m e n ts with th e a ffe c te d c lie n ts. Ad ditio n a lly

, th e se

m a tte rs h a v e b e e n p e n d in g fo r so m e t im e be fo re th e S ta te Ba r with n o re a l

p ro g re ss in a n y o f th e c a se s.

3Th e S ta te Ba r a sk s th a t th e Co u rt a c c e p t th e p e titio n

, b u t with th e

c o n d itio n th a t S a k a s b e re q u ire d to n o tify th e B a r a s h e fin a liz e s se ttle m e n ts a n d

m a k e s p a y m e n ts to a ffe c te d c lie n ts. Ha v in g re v ie we d th e r e c o rd

, th e Co urt

a g re e s th a t a p u b lic re p rim a n d is th e a p p ro p ria te sa n c tio n in th e se c i r c u m s ta n c e s,

se e

, e

. g

., In th e Ma tte r o f Ro we

, 2 8 7 Ga

. 8 2 2 (7 0 0 S E 2 d 53 8) (2 0 1 0 ), a n d

th e re fo re

, a c c e p ts th e p e titio n fo r v o l u n ta ry disc ip lin e

, with th e c o n d itio n th a t

S a k a s n o tify th e S ta te Ba r a s h e fin a liz e s th e fin a n c ia l se ttle m e n ts an d c o m p le te s

th e p a y m e n ts re qu ire d u n d e r th o se se ttle m e n ts.

Ac c o rd in g ly

, th e Co urt h e re by d ire c ts th a t Je ffre y L. S a k a s re c e iv e a

p u b lic re p rim a

n d in a c c o rd a

n c e with Ba r R

u le s 4-1 0 2 (b ) (3 ) an d 4 -2 2 0 (c ) fo r

h is a d m itte d v io la tio n s o f Ru le s 1 .3 a n d 1

. 4

.

P e titio n f o r v o lu n ta ry d isc ip lin e a c c e p te d

. P u blic re p rim a n d

. All th e

Ju stic e s c o n c ur.

4