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

De c id e d: Oc to b e r 1 9 , 2 0 1 5

S1 5 Y1 55 5 .IN THE MATTER OF S U S A N MICHELE BROWN.

P ER C URI AM

.

Th is d isc ip lin a ry m a tte r is b e fo re th e c o u rt o n t h e p e t i tio n fo r v o lu n ta ry

d isc ip lin e file d b y R e s p o n de n t S u sa n Mic h e le Bro wn (S ta te Ba r No

. 09 0 0 4 3 )

b e fo re th e issu a n c e o f a fo rm a l c om p la in t, se e Ba r R

u le 4 -2 2 7 (b ). Bro wn se e k s

th e im p o sitio n o f d isc ip lin e fo r c o nd u c t in v olv in g two se pa ra te ma t t e rs a n d

a lth ou g h sh e re q u e sts a Re v ie w Pa n e l re p rim a nd

, sh e a g re e s t o ac c e p t a

su sp e n sio n o f u p to o n e y e a r in le ng th

. In a d d itio n

, Bro wn a gre e s to c o n su lt with

t h e S ta te Ba r La w P ra c tic e Ma n a g e m e n t P ro g ra m a n d to fo llo w i t s

re c o m m e n d a tio n s c o n c e rn in g h e r la w p ra c tic e

. T h e S ta te Ba r h a s re sp o n d e d

,

in d ic a tin g th a t w h ile it d o e s n o t o p p o se Bro wn ’s p e titio n

, it b e lie v e s th a t a six

m o n th su sp e n sio n is a

n a p p ro p ria te d isc ip lin e g iv e n Bro wn ’s e x p e rie n c e in th e

p ra c tic e o f la w

.

In h e r p e titio n

, Bro wn

, wh o ha s b e e n a m e m be r o f th e S ta te B a r sin c e1 9 9 7, a d m its th a t sh e re pr es e n te d th e wife in a d iv orc e a c tio n, th a t sh e wa s

re q u ire d to h o ld fu n d s g e n e ra te d b y th e sa le of p ro p e r t y d u rin g th e d iv o rc e in

tru st, a n d th a t, a lth o u g h sh e h e ld th e fu n ds se g re ga te d fro m h e r o wn

, sh e fa ile d

to do so w i t h i n h e r tru st a c c o u n t. S h e fu rth e r a d m its th a t sh e d e la y e d in

d istrib u tin g th a t p o rtio n o f th e fu nd s th a t sh e h e ld wh ic h we re d u e to th e

h u sb a n d a t th e c on c lu sio n o f th e d iv o rc e p ro c e e d in gs b e c a u se h e r c lie n t wish e d

to e n su re th a t th e h u sb a n d fu lfille d his r e sp o n sib ility to p a y c e rta in d e b ts

a ssig ne d to h im p rio r to re le a sin g th e fu n ds. Th e h usb a n d ’ s s u b s e q u e n t c o n te m

p t

a c tio n wa s re so lv e d by a c o n se n t o rd e r wh ic h re q uire d Bro wn to d isb u rs e t h e

d isp u te d fu n d s to th e h u sb a n d ’s c o u n s e l t o b e h e ld in tru st u n til th e h u sb a n d

c o m p lie d w ith c e rta in c o n d itio n s. Bro wn p ro m ptly d isb urse d th e a m o u n t o f th e

d isp u te d fu n d s fro m h e r tru st a c c o un t, u sin g m o n e y sh e d e p o site d th e re th a t sh e

h a d e a rn e d th ro u g h fe e s c h a rg e d to oth e r c lie n ts. Th e c h e c k sh e use d

, ho we ve r,

fa ile d to in d ic a te th a t it wa s d ra wn o n a tru st a c c o u n t.

Bro wn a lso a d m its th a t a n o th e r c lie n t e n g a g e d h e r o n a c o n tin g e n c y b a sis

to re p re se n t h im in a n a c tio n a g a in st h is e m p lo y e r b a se d o n h is c la im s o f a ssa u lt

a n d wo rk p la c e h a ra ssm e n t. S h e a d m its th a t sh e fa ile d to su pp le m e n t h e r c lie n t’s

re sp o n se s to th e d e fe n d a n t’s disc o v e ry re q u e sts a n d/o r to re sp o n d to th e

2d e fe n d a n t’s su b se qu e n t m o tio n to c o m pe l th o se su p p le m e n ta l r e s p o n se s. As a

re su lt o f h e r fa ilu re s, h e r c lie nt’s c a se wa s d ism isse d with o u t p re ju d ic e

. Bro wn

trie d u n su c c e ssfu lly to c o n ta c t h e r c l i e n t a b ou t th is d e v e lo p m e n t, b u t sh o rtly

th e re a fte r sh e wa s c o n ta c te d b y a n o th e r a tto rn e y wh o re q u e ste d a c o p y o f h e r

c lie n t’s file

. Be c a

u se th e n e w a tto rn e y fa ile d to sta te th a t h e ha d b e e n re ta in e d

to re p re se n t th e c lie nt, Bro wn n o tifie d h e r c lie n t a n d th e a tto rn e y th a t sh e wo u ld

n e e d writte n in d i c a tio n th a t th e c lie nt a p pro v e d th e re le a se o f h is file

.

Ultim a te ly

, Bro wn p ro v id e d a c o p y o f th e file d ire c tly to th e c lie n t. Th e re a fte r,

B r o w n o p e n e d a d ia lo g u e with th e c lie nt’s n e w c o u n se l a n d

, le ss th a n s i x

m o n th s a fte r e ntry o f th e c om p la in e d -o f d ism issa l o rd e r, Bro wn n eg o t i a te d a

re so lu tio n p ursu a n t to w h i c h h e r c lie n t wa s p a id fo r th e lo ss o f h is wo u ld -b e

c la im s a g a in st h is e m

p lo y e r.

Bro wn a d m its th a t

, b y h e r c o n d u c t in th e se two c a se s, sh e ha s v io la te d

Ru le s 1

. 1 5 (I) (a ), 1 .1 5 (II) (a ), 1 .1 5 (III) (b ), 1 .3 a n d 1 .4 o f th e Ge o rg iaRu le s

o f P ro fe ssio n a l Co n d u c t, se e Ba r R u l e 4 -1 02 (d ). Th e m a x im u m pe n a lty fo r a

v io la tio n o f Ru le 1.4 is a p u b lic re p rim a n d, w h ile th e re m a in in g v io la tio n s c a n

b e p u n ish e d b y d isb a rm e n t.

In m itig a tio n

, Bro wn a sse rts th a t sh e ha s no p rio r d isc ip lin a ry h isto ry

, th a t

3sh e is v e ry re m o rse fu l, a n d th a t sh e h a s fu lly c o op e ra te d with th e S ta te Ba r

d u rin g th e se d isc ip lin a ry p ro c e e d in g s. F u rth e r, with re g a rd to th e d iv o rc e c a se

,

Bro w n a c c e p ts re sp o nsib ility fo r he r m isc o n d u c t in th e h a n d l i n g o f fu n d s th a t

sh o u ld h a v e b e e n p la c e d in a tru st a c c o u n t, b u t d e n ie s a n y d ish o ne st o r se lfish

m o tiv a tio n in th a t re g a

rd

. S h e n o te s th a t a n y d e la y in d isb u rsin g th e fu nd s to th e

h u sb a n d wa s a n e ffo rt to p ro te c t h e r c lie n t a n d to c o m p ly with h e r c lie n t’s

re fu sa l to a

u th o riz e u n re stric te d d isb u rse m e n t o f th o se fu n d s. Sh e fu rth e r n o te s

th a t o n c e th e p a rtie s a g re e d o n th e c o n se n t o rd e r, sh e pro m p tly d isb u rse d to th e

h u sb a n d ’s a tto rn e y a ll fu n d s d u e

. With re ga rd th e e m p lo y m e n t c a se

, Bro wn

a c c e p ts re sp o n sib ility fo r he r la c k o f d ilig e n c e

, b u t o ffe rs in m itig a tio n th a t a fte r

sh e file d th e e m

p lo y m e n t c a se

, h e r e ld e r l y fa th e r b e c a m e ill, a n d th a t h e r

m ista ke s in th a t c a se we re n o t th e re su lt o f a d ish o n e st or sin iste r m otiv e

, b u t o f

th e p e rso n a l a n d e m o tio na l d istre ss sh e e n d ure d be c a u se o f h e r fa th e r’s illn e ss

a n d th e lo g istic s o f a ssistin g h im in o b ta in in g th e ne c e ssa ry m e d ic a l tre a tm e n t.

Bro w n h a s su b m itte d th re e le tte r s an d two a ffid a vits a tte stin g to h e r g o o d

c h a ra c te r, in te g rity , tru stwo rth in e ss, p ro fe ssio n a lism

, a n d c o m pe te n c y

.

In its re sp o n se

, th e S ta te Ba r d o e s n o t d i s p u te Bro wn ’s re c ita tio n o f th e

fa c ts o r o f th e m itig a tin g fa c to rs, b u t sta te s in a g g ra va tio n th a t B ro wn ha s

4su b sta n tia l e xp e rie n c e i n th e p ra c tic e o f la w

. Th e Ba r su g g e sts th a t th e

se rio u sn e ss o f th e v io la tio ns d e m a n d s th e im p o sitio n o f a six -m o n th su sp e n sio n

.

We h a v e re v ie we d th e re c o rd in th is c a se a nd w e a g re e to a c c e p t Bro wn ’s

p e titio n fo r v o lu nta ry d isc ip lin e

. Mo re o ve r, we b e lie v e th a t un d e r t h e sp e c ific

c irc u m sta n c e s o f th is c a se

, wh ic h in c lu d e th e fa c t th a t a ll p er s o n s w h o we re

h a rm e d b y B ro wn ’s a c tio n s h a v e b e e n m a d e w h o le

, a pu b l ic re prim a n d

, with

c o n d itio n s, is su ffic ie n t d isc ip lin e to im p o se fo r Bro wn ’s a d m itte d v io la tio n s.

S e e In th e Ma tte r of Ho wa rd

, 2 9 2 Ga

. 4 13

, 4 1 4 (7 3 8 S E2 d 8 9 ) (2 0 1 3 ) (th o u g h

n o h a rm wa s d o n e to c lie n ts with re sp e c t to a n a d mi t t e d v io la tio n o f tru st

a c c o u nt ru le s, “ e v e n a te c hn ic a l v io la tio n sh o u ld h a v e p u b lic d isc ip lin e so a s to

p ro te c t c lie n ts, c o u rts, a

n d th e p u b lic ” ); c o m

p a re In th e M

a tte r o f Fra n c is

, 2 9 7

Ga

. 2 8 2 (7 7 3 SE2 d 2 8 0 ) (2 0 1 5 ) (im p o sin g o n ly a Re v ie w P a n e l re p rim a n d in a

c a se in wh ic h th e a tto rn e y p e rm itte d a c o -m in g lin g o f p e rs o n a l an d fid u c ia ry

fu n d s in to h is tru st a c c o u n t, b u t th e e v id e n c e d id n o t sh o w, a s in th e c a se n o w

b e fo re u s, th a t fu nd s b e lo ng in g to o th e rs we re wro n g fu lly re ta in e d fo r a p e rio d

o f tim e ). Ac c o rd in g ly

, th e Co u rt he re b y o rd e rs th a t Bro wn 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 Ru le s 4 -1 0 2 (b ) (3 ) a n d 4 -2 2 0 (c ) a n d th a t sh e

c o n su lt with th e La w P ra c t ic e Ma n a g e m e n t S e c tio n o f th e Ba r with in 6 0 d a y s

5a fte r th is Co u rt’s O rd e r a n d fo llo w its re c o m m e n d a tio n s c o n c e r n i n g h e r la w

p ra c tic e

.

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

. P u b lic re prim a nd with

c o n d itio n s. All th e Ju stic e s c o n c u r.

6