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 5 , 2 0 1 5

S1 5 Y 1 2 3 0 , S 1 5 Y1 2 3 1 . IN THE MATTER OF JOEL DAVID MYERS

.

P ER CURIAM.

Th e se disc i p l i n a ry m a tte rs a re be fo re th e Co urt o n th e No tic e s o f

Disc ip lin e se e k in g d i s b a rm e n t o f Jo e l Da v id My e rs (S ta te B a r No

. 5 3 3 1 4 7 ).

Th e S ta te Ba r a tte m

p te d to se rv e My e rs p e rso n a lly a t th e a d d re ss liste d with th e

S ta te Ba r, b u t th e sh e riff file d a re tu rn o f se rv ic e n o n e st in v e n tu s. Th e S ta te Ba r

th e n p ro p e rly se rv e d My e rs b y p u b lic a tio n p u rsu a n t to B a r Ru le 4 -2 0 3 .1 (b ) (3 )

(ii), b u t My e rs fa ile d to file No tic e s o f Re je c tio n

. Th e re fo re

, h e is in d e fa u lt, ha s

wa iv e d h is rig h ts to a n e vid e n tia ry h e a rin g

, a n d is su b je c t to su c h d isc ip lin e a n d

fu rth e r p ro c e e d in g s a s m a y b e d e te rm in e d b y th is Co u rt. S e e Ba r Ru le 4 -2 0 8 .1

(b ). Th is Co u rt p re v io u sly e n te re d a n o rd e r of su sp e n sio n fo r My e rs’ fa ilu re to

re sp o n d to th e No tic e o f In v e stig a tio n

, se e In th e Ma tte r o f My e rs, S 1 5 Y0 4 7 4

(De c . 1

, 2 0 1 4 ).

Th e fa c ts, a s de e m e d a d m itte d b y v irtu e o f My e rs’ d e fa u lt, sh o w th a t in

S 1 5 Y 1 2 3 0

, M y e rs, wh o wa s a d m itte d to th e Ba r in 1 99 8

, wa s re ta in e d b y ac lie n t t o r e p re se nt h im in a c iv il c a se

, b u t My e rs d id n o t a de q u a te ly

c o m m u nic a te with h is c lie n t a n d d id n o t re sp on d to h is c lie nt’s re p e a te d re q u e sts

fo r in fo rm a tio n a

b o u t th e sta tu s a n d p r o g re ss of th e c a se

. My e rs d id n o t file

p le a d in g s in th e c a se

, d id no t file fo r su m m a ry ju d gm e n t a nd did n ot re sp o n d to

d isc o v e ry

. Alth o u g h th e c lie nt p a id My e rs su b sta n tia l fe e s, My e rs e ith e r d id n o t

c o m p le te th e wo rk o r c ha rg e d u n re a so n a b le fe e s fo r th e w o rk h e d id a c c o m p lish

.

My e rs m isre p re se n te d to h is c lie n t wh a t wo rk h e h a d c o m p le te d a n d th e

ju stific a tio n fo r th e fe e s h e c h ar g e d

. Th e c lie n t c o n se q u e ntly u n d e rto o k to

re p re se n t h im se lf pro se a nd a llo we d My e rs to with d ra w b y filin g a su b stitu tio n

o f c o u n se l. M y e r s r e fu se d to re fu n d a tto rn e y ’s fe e s th e c lie n t h a d p a id a n d

My e rs h a d n o t e a rn e d

. My e rs fa ile d to re sp o n d to th e No tic e o f In v e stig a tio n

a fte r h is c lie nt file d a g rie v a n c e a g a i n s t h im

. B a se d on th e se fa c ts, th e

In v e stig a tiv e P a n e l fo u n d p ro b a b le c a u se to b e lie v e th a t My e rs v io la te d Ru le s

1 .3

, 1 .4

, 1 .5

, 1 .1 6 (d ), 3 .2

, 8

. 4 (a ) (4 ) a n d 9 .3 o f th e Ge o rg ia Ru le s o f

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

In S 1 5 Y1 2 3 1

, th e fa c ts sh o w th a t a c lie n t h ire d My e rs to re p re se n t h im to

file d e sig n a n d pa te n t a

p plic a tio n s with th e Un ite d Sta te s P a te n t a n d T ra d e m a rk

Offic e (“ US P TO” ), a

n d h e p a id My e rs fo r th e wo rk p lu s a d d itio na l su m s to h o ld

2in tru st fo r th e re qu ire d filin g fe e s. My e rs wa s v a gu e wh e n h is c lie n t in q u ire d

a b o u t th e sta tu s o f th e m a tte r a n d sa id o nly th a t it wa s p ro c e e d in g pro p e rly

.

My e rs fa lse ly to ld h is c lie n t th a t h e h a d file d a ll th e a pp lic a tio n s, fe e s a n d

d e c la ra tio n s b u t he h a d n o t do n e so

, c a u sin g th e a

p plic a tio n s to b e d e fic ie n t a n d

su b je c t to b e in g d e c la re d a

b a n d o n e d b y th e US P T O. Th e c lie n t d isc o v e re d th a t

My e rs h a d b ille d him twic e f o r th e sa m e wo rk

, wh ic h re su lte d in My e rs

c h a rg in g u n re a so n a

b le fe e s. In a d d itio n, My e rs c o n v in c e d h is c lie nt to le n d h im

$ 6 0 0 with o u t th e re q u ire d c o n su lta tio n o r c o n se n t n e c e ssa ry to e n te r in to a

b u sin e ss tra nsa c tio n with a c lie nt. Th e c lie nt le a rn e d fro m th e US P TO th a t

My e rs h a d n o t p a id th e filin g fe e o r su bm itte d th e d e c la ra tio n s t o su p p o rt th e

p a te n t a p p lic a tio ns, so h e d isc h a rg e d My e rs a nd h ire d n e w c o u n se l, th u s c a u sin g

h im to p a y su b sta n tia l fe e s to c o rre c t My e rs’ fa ilu re s a n d d e fic ie nc ie s. My e rs

fa ile d to re sp o n d to th e No tic e o f In v e stig a ti o n i n t h is m a tte r a s we ll. By h is

c o n d u c t th e In v e stig a tiv e P a n e l fo u n d p ro b a b le c a use to b e lie ve th a t h e v io la te d

Ru le s 1

. 3 , 1 .4 , 1 .5 , 1 .8 , 1 .1 5 (I), 1 .1 5 (II), 3 .2 , 8 .4 (a ) (4 ) a n d 9

. 3

.

Th e m a xim

um sa n c tio n fo r v io la tin g Ru le s 1.3

, 8

. 4

, 1 .1 5 (I) a n d 1 .1 5 (II)

is d isb a rm e n t; th e m a x im

u m sa n c tio n fo r v io la tin g Ru le s 1 .4

, 1

. 5

, 1.8

, 1 .1 6

, 3 .2

a n d 9 .3 is a p ub lic re prim a n d

. In a gg ra v a tio n o f d isc ip lin e

, th e In v e stig a tiv e

3P a n e l c ite d My e rs’ d e c e p tiv e c o n d u c t a n d fa lse sta te m e n ts to h is c lie n ts. Ha v in g

re v ie we d th e re c o rd

, we c o n c lu d e th a t d isb arm e nt is th e a pp ro p ria te sa n c tio n in

th e se m a tte rs. Ac c o rd in g ly

, it h e re b y is o rd e re d th a t th e n a me of Jo e l Da v id

M y e r s b e re m o v e d fro m th e ro lls o f p e rso n s a u th o riz e d to p ra c tic e la w in t h e

S ta te o f Ge o rg ia . My e rs is re m in d e d o f h is d u tie s u nd e r Ba r Ru le 4 -2 19 (c ).

Disb a rre d . All th e Ju stic e s c o n c u r.

4