2 9 7 Ga . 1 44

F INAL COP Y

S1 5 Y1 0 4 0 . IN THE MATTER OF KIMBERLY L. COP E LAND.

P ER CURIAM.

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

d isc ip lin e file d b y Re sp o n d e n t Kim b e rly L. Co p e la n d (S ta te Ba r No

. 1 8 6 7 8 3 ),

p u rsu a n t to B a r R

u le 4-2 2 7 (b ) (2 ), in wh ic h s h e s e e k s t o re so lv e two

g rie va n c e s, b o th of wh ic h re la te to h e r fo rm e r re pre se n ta tio n of th e sa m e c lie n t,

a risin g fro m two tra ffic a c c id e n ts in vo lv in g t h e c l i e n t th a t to o k pla c e in

F e b ru a ry a n d M ar c h o f 2 0 0 9

. In h e r p e titio n

, C o p e la n d a d m its th a t a s to th e

F e b ru a ry a c c id e n t, sh e v io la te d Ru le s 1.3 an d 1 .1 6 (d ) of th e Ge o rg ia R u le s o f

P ro fe ssio n a l Co n d u c t, a n d a s to th e M a rc h a c c id e n t, sh e vio la te d Ru le s 1 .1 5 (I),

1 .1 5 (II), a n d 5 .3 (b ). S e e Ba r Ru le 4 -1 0 2 (d ). Th e m a x i mu m sa n c tio n fo r a

v io la tio n o f Ru le 1 .1 6 is a p u b lic re p rim a n d, a n d t h e m a xim u m sa n c tio n fo r a

v io la tio n o f Ru le s 1 .3

, 1 .1 5 (I), 1 .1 5 (II), a n d 5 .3 is disb a rm e n t. Co p e la n d

re q u e sts th a t th e Co urt im p o s e a s u s p e n sio n of six m o nth s on h e r a b ility to

p ra c tic e la w, with c o n d itio ns fo r re in sta te m e n t.In h e r p e titio n

, Co p e la n d

, wh o h a s b e e n a m e m b e r o f th e S ta te Ba r sin c e

1 9 9 6, a dm its th a t with re g a rd to th e F e b ru a ry 2 0 0 9 a c c id e n t, sh e e n te re d in to a

c o n tin g e n c y fe e a g re e m e n t with he r c lie n t b u t in fo rm e d h im th a t sh e a n tic ip a te d

d iffic u ltie s in pro v in g d a m a g e s. Co p e la n d se n t a d e m a n d le tte r to th e in su ra n c e

c o m p a ny fo r th e o th e r p a rty to th e a c c id e n t, bu t th e in su re r d e c lin e d to o ffe r a n y

se ttle m e n t a m o u nt. Co pe la nd th e n de c lin e d to file a l a w s u i t o n h e r c lie n t’s

b e h a l f b u t n e g le c te d to c o m m u n ic a te th is d e c isio n to he r c lie n t, w h o b e lie v e d

th a t Co p e la n d wo u ld c o n tin u e to wo rk o n th e m a tte r. T h e c lie n t d id no t fin d o u t

a b o u t Co p e la n d ’s d e c isio n n o t to file su it u n til a fte r th e sta tu te o f lim ita tio n o n

h is c la im h a d ru n.

As to th e Ma rc h 20 0 9 a c c id e n t, Co p e la n d a g a in e n te re d in to a c o n tin g e n t

fe e re la tio n sh ip with h e r c lie nt, wh o a lso e x e c u te d a p o w e r o f a tto rn e y g iv in g

Co p e la n d a

u th o rity to e n d o rse c h e c k s re la te d to th e m a tte r a n d to d e d u c t h e r fe e s

a n d e x p e n se s. Co p e la nd d e le g a te d th e re s p o n sib ility fo r c o m m u nic a tin g with

th e c lie n t a n d th e in su ra nc e c o m p a n y i n v o l v e d in th a t c a se to h e r p a ra le g a l,

wh o m Co p e la n d d ire c te d a n d su p e rv ise d

. Th e p a ra le g a l sp o k e with th e c lie n t,

in fo rm in g h im th a t Co p e la n d wo u ld su b mi t a d e m an d le tte r fo r $5 0 ,0 0 0

, th e

re le v a n t p olic y lim it. Th e p a ra le g a l b e lie v e d th a t th e c lie n t c o nse n te d to h a v in g

2h is c la im se ttle d fo r th e p o lic y lim it

, b u t th e c lie n t m a in ta in s th a t he d id n o t

a u th oriz e su c h a se ttle m e n t. Th e in su re r a gre e d to se ttle th e c la im fo r th e p o lic y

lim it a n d se nt a c h e c k fo r th a t a m o u n t, le ss p ay m e n ts a lre a d y m a de to h e a lth c a re

p ro v id e rs, to Co p e la n d

. Co pe la n d d e p o site d th e c h e c k in to he r tru st a c c o u n t a n d

issu e d h e rse lf a c h e c k fo r th e c o n tin g e n c y fe e of $ 1 7 ,5 50

. A lth o ug h Co p e la n d

so u g h t to h a v e th e c lie n t c o m e in a nd sig n th e re le a se to o bta in th e se ttle m e n t

p ro c e e d s, b e c a

u se of a n a

p p a re n t m isc o m m

u n ic a tio n o r la c k o f c o m m u n ic a tio n

,

th e c lie n t n e v e r sig n e d th e re le a se

.

Th e c lie n t la te r re ta in e d o th e r co u n s e l, wh o le a rn e d th a t Co p e la n d h a d

se ttle d th e c a se with o u t th e c lie n t’s k no wl e d g e a n d d e m a n d e d th a t Co p e la n d

su rre nd e r th e se ttle m e nt m on e y a n d h e r f e e. C o p e la n d se n t a c he c k fo r th e

se ttle m e n t fu n d s, le ss h e r fe e

, to th e o th e r a tto rn e y

, wh o re fu se d th e c h e c k a n d

re tu rn e d it to Co p e la n d . By th e tim e Co p e la nd file d h e r p e titio n fo r v o lu n ta ry

d isc ip lin e

, sh e h a d re n o u n c e d h e r cl a i m to a n y fe e a n d d e liv e re d th e fu ll

se ttle m e n t a m ou nt to th e c lie n t. Co p e la n d a c k n o wle d g e s m ism a n a g e m e n t o f th e

fu n d s in h e r tru st a c c o u n t, o v e r wh ic h sh e g a v e h e r o ffic e sta ff re sp o n sib ility

,

b u t sh e d e n ie s a ny d is h o n e st o r se lfish m o tiv e a nd sta te s th a t sh e is willin g to

3e n g a g e th e S ta te Ba r’s L a w P ra c tic e Ma n a g e m e n t P ro g ra m (“ LP MP ” ) to m a k e

re c o m m e n d a tio n s fo r h e r firm

.

Co p e la n d a c k n owle d g e s h e r Ru le s v i ola tio ns u n c o nd itio n a lly a n d a lso

a c k n o wle d g e s th a t sh e re c e iv e d a fo rm a l le tte r o f a d m o n i t i o n i n 2 0 1 1 in a n

u n re la te d d isc ip lin a ry m a tte r. In m itig a tio n

, Co pe la n d c ite s he r a c tiv e

m e m b e rsh ip in th e S ta te Ba r a n d n u m e ro u s p ro fe ssio n a l org a n iz a tio n s, h e r g o o d

re p u ta tio n in th e le g a l c o m m u n ity

, he r a c tiv e p artic ip a tio n i n h e r lo c a l

c o m m u nity

, a n d h e r a c tiv e in v o lv e m e n t in h e r c h u rc h

. Co p e la n d su b m itte d with

h e r p e titio n n u m e ro u s a ffid a v its fro m o th e r a tto rn e y s a tte stin g to h e r g o o d

re p u ta tio n a n d c ha ra c te r. Co p e la n d n ote s th a t d urin g th e tim e sh e re p re se n te d

th e c lie n t a t issu e

, sh e wa s g o in g th ro u g h a d iv o rc e a n d is n o w a sin g le m o th e r

o f th re e c h ild re n

. S h e e x p re sse s re m o rse a n d e m b a rra ssm e n t fo r h e r c o n d u c t

,

re ite ra te s th a t sh e did n o t h a v e a d ish o n e st o r se lfish m otiv e

, n o te s th a t sh e m a d e

a g o o d -fa ith e ffo rt to re c tify th e c o n se q u e n c e s o f he r a c tio n s, sta te s th a t sh e ha s

b e e n c o o p e ra tiv e to wa rd th e d isc ip lin a ry p ro c e ss, an d m a in ta in s th a t sh e

c o n tin u e s to h a ve a g o o d re p u ta tio n in th e le g a l c o m m u n ity

. In its re sp o n se

, th e

S ta te Ba r a g re e d th a t a

su sp e nsio n wo u ld b e a

pp ro p ria te

.

4Ha v in g re v ie we d th e re c o rd

, we c o n c lu de th a t a c c e p ta n c e o f C o p e la n d ’s

p e titio n fo r v o lu n ta ry d isc ip lin e is a p p ro p ria te

. Ac c o rd in g ly

, we a c c e p t th e

p e titi o n a n d d ire c t th a t Kim b e rly L. Co p e la nd b e su sp e n d e d fro m th e p ra c tic e

o f la w in th e S ta te o f Ge o rg ia fo r six mo n t h s

. At th e c on c lu sio n o f th e

su sp e n sio n p e rio d

, if C o p e la n d wish e s to se e k re in sta te m e n t, sh e m u st o ffe r

p ro o f to th e S ta te Ba r’s Offic e o f Ge n e ra l Co u n se l th a t sh e h a s c o m p lie d with

th e c o n ditio ns fo r re in sta te m e n t im p ose d i n c on ne c tio n with th is su sp e n sio n

,

n a m el y

, t h a t sh e h a s c o m p le te d a c o n su lta tio n with th e LP MP re g a rd in g tru st

a c c o u nt p ro c e d ure s a n d c o m p lie d with its re c om m e n d a tio ns. If th e S ta t e Ba r

a g re e s th a t th e c on d itio n s h a v e b e e n m e t, it will su b m it a no tic e o f c om p lia n c e

to th is Co u rt, a

n d th is Co u rt will issu e a n o rd e r g r a n t i n g o r d e n y in g

re in sta te m e n t.

Co p e la n d is re m in d e d o f h e r d u tie s u n d e r Ba r Ru le 4 -2 1 9 (c ).

P e titio n fo r v o lu n ta ry d isc ip l in e a c c e p te d. S ix -m o n th su sp e n sio n with

c o n d itio n s fo r re in sta te m e n t. All th e Ju stic e s c o n c u r.

De c id e d Ma y 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

. S u sp e n sio n

.

Gia c o m a S c h le ic h e r Ro b e rts & Da u g h d rill, G e n e Ch a

p m a n

, f o r C o p e la n d

.

5P a

u la J. F re d e ric k

, Ge n e ra l Co u n se l S ta te Ba r, Jo n a th a n W

. He we t t,

Assista n t Ge n e ra l Co u nse l S ta te Ba r, fo r S ta te Ba

r o f Ge o rg ia

.

6