In the Supreme Court of Georgia

Decided: August 9, 2022

S22Y0917. IN THE MATTER OF AMBER HOLLY BUNCH.

PER CURIAM.

This disciplinary matter is before the Court on the report and 

recommendation of Special Master Delia T. Crouch, who 

recommends that the Court accept the petition for voluntary 

surrender of license filed by Amber Holly Bunch (State Bar No. 

994313), after the filing of a formal complaint. See Bar Rule 4-227 

(c). In her petition, Bunch requested that she be allowed to 

voluntarily surrender her license for her admitted violations, in two 

separate but related matters, of Rules 1.3, 1.15 (I) (a), 1.15 (I) (c), 

1.15 (II) (a), 1.15 (II) (b), and 3.2 of the Georgia Rules of Professional 

Conduct found in Bar Rule 4-102 (d). While one of the matters has

not yet been docketed with this Court, is considered confidential, 

and was not before the Special Master, Bunch waived confidentiality 
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and requested that the Special Master also consider the admissions 

of fact and rule violations in that matter as part of her petition. 

In her petition, Bunch, who has been a member of the State 

Bar since 2016, admitted the following facts. With regard to State 

Disciplinary Board Docket (“SDBD”) No. 7462, Bunch admitted that 

in December 2017, a client retained her for a personal injury action 

arising from an accident. Bunch eventually settled the client’s claim 

against the defendant for the policy limit of $100,000 in April 2018 

and deposited the settlement check into her IOLTA account. 

However, Bunch failed to safeguard the settlement funds and 

allowed the balance in her trust account to fall below the amount 

she should have held for the client, and she also failed to maintain 

records reflecting the balance held for her client in the IOLTA 

account. In addition, Bunch maintained personal funds in her 

IOLTA account during the same time she held funds for the client; 

she withdrew funds for her personal use; and she did not deliver the 

settlement funds to her client until January 2021. She further 

admitted that she used personal funds to disburse the settlement 
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funds to her client and that she did not disburse the settlement 

funds from her IOLTA account. During the litigation of her client’s

lawsuit, Bunch also failed to adequately respond to discovery sent 

by the uninsured/underinsured motorist carrier on behalf of the 

client, and the uninsured/underinsured motorist carrier filed 

several motions to compel discovery, but Bunch failed to file a 

response to those motions either. With regard to SDBD No. 7508, 

the undocketed matter, Bunch admitted that from September 2018 

to March 2020, she maintained personal funds in her IOLTA 

account; she failed to keep records showing the exact balance held 

for each client; and she failed to safeguard client funds. 

Based on her conduct in SDBD No. 7462, Bunch admitted 

violating Rule 1.3 by failing to respond to motions on behalf of her 

client. In addition, she admitted violating Rules 1.15 (I) (a) and 1.15

(I) (c) by failing to safeguard the client’s settlement funds, 

commingling personal and client funds, failing to keep complete 

records of the client’s funds, failing to properly account for the 

client’s funds, and failing to promptly deliver the settlement funds 
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to the client. Next, Bunch admitted that she violated Rules 1.15 (II) 

(a) and 1.15 (II) (b) by failing to administer client funds from a trust 

account, by failing to maintain records reflecting the balance held 

for her client, and at times having a lower balance in her trust 

account than the amount she should have been holding for her 

client. Bunch also admitted that she could not ascertain from her 

existing records when the client’s money had been withdrawn and 

for what purpose. Next, Bunch admitted that she violated Rule 3.2

by failing to respond to discovery and motions filed against the client 

in order to expedite the litigation consistent with the client’s 

interests. Finally, as to SDBD No. 7508, Bunch admitted that based 

on her conduct she violated Rules 1.15 (I) (a) and 1.15 (II) (b) by 

failing to safeguard client funds, by commingling client and personal 

funds in her trust account, and by failing to keep records of client 

funds, including the exact balance held for each client. The 

maximum penalty for a violation of each of these Rules is 

disbarment, except Rule 3.2, for which the maximum penalty is a 

public reprimand.
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After the State Bar responded and recommended that the 

Special Master accept Bunch’s petition for voluntary surrender of 

license, the Special Master issued her report, recommending that 

this Court accept the petition for voluntary surrender of license. In

a thorough report and recommendation, the Special Master agreed 

that Bunch’s admitted conduct as outlined in her petition supported 

violations of Rules 1.3, 1.15 (I) (a), 1.15 (I) (c), 1.15 (II) (a), 1.15 (II) 

(b), and 3.2. The Special Master further determined that, although 

relatively inexperienced in the practice of law, Bunch demonstrated 

personal conduct that was antithetical to the standards required of 

those licensed to practice law in this state and that warranted and 

compelled disbarment. Accordingly, the Special Master 

recommended that this Court accept Bunch’s petition for voluntary 

surrender of license, which is tantamount to disbarment. See Bar 

Rule 1.0 (s). 

Having reviewed the record, we agree to accept the Special 

Master’s recommendation, which is consistent with prior, similar

cases. See In the Matter of Sims, 313 Ga. 117, 119 (868 SE2d 192) 
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(2020) (accepting voluntary surrender of license on recommendation 

of Special Master where attorney committed multiple trust account 

violations); In the Matter of Flit, 309 Ga. 440, 441 (846 SE2d 403) 

(2020) (accepting voluntary surrender of license on recommendation 

of Special Master where attorney failed in two separate matters to 

give accounting of settlement proceeds or deliver funds to clients); 

In the Matter of Dabney-Froe, 302 Ga. 746, 746-747 (808 SE2d 649) 

(2017) (accepting voluntary surrender of license where attorney

failed promptly to disburse funds or provide accounting of funds). 

Accordingly, it is ordered that the name of Amber Holly Bunch be 

removed from the rolls of persons authorized to practice law in the 

State of Georgia. Bunch is reminded of her duties pursuant to Bar 

Rule 4-219 (b). 

Voluntary surrender of license accepted. All the Justices concur.