Akron Bar Association v. Williams. 1 [Cite as Akron Bar Assn. v. Williams (1996),____Ohio St.3d____.] 2 Attorneys at law -- Misconduct -- Public reprimand -- Withdrawing 3 from employment without ta king reasonable steps to avoid 4 foreseeable prejudice to client and delivering all papers to 5 which client is entit led -- Neglect of an entrusted legal matter - 6 - Failing in a timely manner to respond to a court order, pay 7 the filing fee, and file t he required notice of appeal and 8 appellant’s brief. 9 (No. 96-1468 -- Submitted Septem ber 10, 1996 -- Decided December 10 18, 1996.) 11 On Certified Report by the Board of Commissioners on Grievances 12 and Discipline of the S upreme Court, No. 95-76. 13 The Akron Bar Association (“relator”) filed a complaint on October 14 10, 1995, charging, inter alia , that Brian J. Williams of Akron, Ohio, 15 Attorney Registration No. 0020645 (“respondent”), had violated DR 2- 16 110(A)(2) (withdrawing from employment without taking reasonable steps 17 to avoid foreseeable prejudice to a clie nt and delivering all papers to which 18 the client is entitled) and 6-101(A)(3) (neg lect of a legal matter entrusted). 19After respondent filed an answer to the complaint, relator and 1 respondent entered into a stipulation in which respondent agreed that he had 2 violated the above Disciplinary Rules. The matter was considered by a 3 panel of the Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline of the 4 Supreme Court (“board”) upon the plead ings and agreed stipulations. 5 According to the stipulated facts, respondent filed a complaint in 6 April 1992 in the Ohio Court of Claims on behalf of Dethrow Jackson, but 7 did not pay the filing fee as required. In June 1992, the Court of Claims 8 dismissed the action for failure to pay th e fee. After the filing fee was paid 9 and the case reinstated, respondent failed to file a Statement of Existence of 10 Connected Actions as had been ordere d by the court in April 1992. Hence 11 the court again dismissed the case in April 1993. Respondent did not appeal 12 this dismissal, but filed a motion fo r reconsideration. When the court 13 denied the motion to reconsider, re spondent filed an appeal from that 14 decision to the court of appeals. 15 Seven weeks after the appeal was f iled, the court of appeals notified 16 respondent that although the record was filed, respondent had not filed his 17 Brief and Assignments of Error, nor had he requested an extension. 18Respondent then requested an extension, which was granted. On November 1 9, 1993, the court of appeals dismissed the appeal for the reason that the 2 appeal was not timely filed. Respondent then refused to deliver Jackson’s 3 file to him until Jackson paid the accumulated court costs. 4 The panel recommended that the re spondent be publicly reprimanded. 5 The board adopted the findings and the recommendation of the panel. 6

_________________________ 7 R. David Briggs and James L. Wagner , for relator. 8 Brian J. Williams, pro se . 9

________________________ 10 Per Curiam . The respondent attorney has admitted to neglect of duty 11 owed to his client by failing in a tim ely manner to respond to a court order, 12 pay the filing fee, and file the requi red notice of appeal and appellant’s 13 brief. We adopt the findings and recommendation of the board. 14 Respondent is hereby publicly reprima nded. Costs are taxed to respondent. 15 Judgment accordingly. 16 M OYER , C.J., D OUGLAS , R ESNICK , F.E. S WEENEY , P FEIFER , C OOK 17 and S TRATTON , JJ., concur. 181