TO BE PUBLISHED 

°Sum= C,*ourf of TArtifuritv 

2016-SC-000109-KB 

MICHAEL A. VALENTI MOVANT 

V. IN SUPREME COURT 

KENTUCKY BAR ASSOCIATION RESPONDENT 

( 

OPINION AND ORDER 

Michael A. Valentil commingled personal funds with client funds in his 

firm's IOLTA escrow account. Valenti self-reported this professional-ethics 

violation to the Kentucky Bar Association, and the parties have reached an 

agreed resolution. 

Over a two-and-one-half-year period, Valenti misused client funds via six 

separate disbursements, ranging in amounts from $1,544.40 to $10,440.00. 

In addition, Valenti authorized checks representing his own personal funds 

totaling $182,585.81 to be deposited into the IOLTA escrow account of his firm, 

Valenti Hanley 86 Robinson, PLLC. This IOLTA escrow account also contained 

client funds. Of these deposited funds, $173,678.00 were obtained through 

Valenti's firm's profit-sharing plan. Valenti used the funds to pay personal 

expenses. Of note, before Valenti self-reported, all client funds were restored. 

1KBA Member No. 81989, bar roster address, One Riverfront Plaza, Suite 1950, 

401 W. Main Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202. Valenti was admitted to the practice 

of law on April 24, 1987. 

1 
Valenti admits his conduct violated Kentucky Supreme Court Rule (SCR) 

3.130-1.5(a), which provides: 

"A lawyer shall hold property of clients or third persons that is in a 

lawyer's possession in a separate account maintained in the state 

where the lawyer's office is situated, or elsewhere with the consent 

of the client, third person, or both in the event of a claim by each 

to the property. The separate account referred to in the preceding 

sentence shall be maintained in a bank which has agreed to notify 

the Kentucky Bar Association in the event that any overdraft 

occurs in the account. Other property shall be identified and 

safeguarded." 

Under SCR 3.480(2), Valenti and the KBA agreed to the imposition of 

discipline and now ask this Court to impose upon him a suspension from the 

practice of law for thirty days, to be probated for a one-year period. The terms 

of the probation require Valenti to attend, at his own expense, the next 

scheduled Ethics and Professionalism Enhancement Program (EPEP) offered by 

the Office of Bar Counsel (OBC) within twelve months following the entry of this 

Opinion and Order. Valenti will not be allowed to apply for CLE credit of any 

kind for this program and must furnish a release and waiver to the OBC to 

allow the OBC to verify he has not reported any such hours to the CLE 

Commission. In addition, Valenti must satisfy all CLE requirements and timely 

pay his KBA membership dues. And Valenti will pay the costs of these 

proceedings. 

In the event Valenti fails to comply with any of the terms of discipline 

stated here, upon motion of the OBC, this Court may impose the entire thirtyday suspension. 

After reviewing the record, the standards, and other relevant authorities, 

this Court concludes that the discipline proposed by Valenti is adequate. 

2 
Thus, the Court ORDERS: 

1) Michael A. Valenti, KBA Member No. 81981, is guilty of the charge 

alleged in KBA File No. 23365; 

2) Valenti will be suspended from the practice of law for a period of thirty 

days for violating SCR 3.130-1.15(a); 

3) The entirety of Valenti's suspension will be probated for one year, 

subject to the conditions set forth here; 

4) If Valenti fails to comply with any of the terms of discipline as set 

forth here, upon the OBC's motion, the Court will impose the thirtyday suspension; 

5) In accordance with SCR 3.370, Valenti is directed to pay $57.10, the 

cost associated with this proceeding, for which execution may issue 

from this Court upon finality of this Opinion and Order. 

All sitting. All concur. 

ENTERED: May 5, 2016. 

3