2 9 7 Ga . 4 71

F INAL COP Y

S 1 4 Y1 3 0 6 , S 1 4 Y1 3 0 7 . IN THE MATTER OF WAYNE P E TER

MERIS OTIS (two c a se s).

P ER CURIAM.

Th is d isc i p l i n a ry m a tte r is b e fo re th e Co u rt o n No tic e s of Disc ip lin e

se e k in g th e d isb a rm e n t o f Wa y n e P e te r M e riso tis (S ta te Ba r No

. 5 02 5 1 0 ). Th e

S ta te Ba r a tte m

p te d to se rv e Me riso tis 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, bu 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 M e riso tis b y p u b lic a tio n p u rsu a n t to Ba r R u le 4-2 0 3 .1 (b )

(3 ) (ii); h o we v e r, Me riso tis 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, h a s wa iv e d h is rig h ts to a n e v id e n tia ry h e a rin g, an 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 din g s a s m a y b e de te rm in e d b y th is C o u rt. S e e Ba r

Ru le 4 -2 0 8 .1 (b ). T h i s C o u r t p r e v i o u s l y e n t e r e d o r d e r s o f s u s p e n s i o n f o r

Me riso tis’s fa ilu re to re sp o n d to th e No tic e s o f In v e stig a tio n

. S e e In th e Ma tte r

o f Me riso tis, S 1 4 Y0 5 4 7 , S 1 4 Y0 5 4 8 (Ja n . 3 , 2 0 1 4 ).

Th e fa c ts, a s d e e m e d a d m itte d b y v irtu e o f Me riso tis’s de fa ult, sh o w th a t

Me riso tis, wh o wa s a d m itte d to th e Ba r in 19 93

, wa s re ta in e d in 2 01 2 b y two

c l i e n t s t o re p re se n t th e m in se p a ra te c rim in a l m a tte rs. In th e c ou rse o f b o t hre p re se n ta tio n s, Me riso tis p ro v id e d u n t r u t h f u l a n d m i s l e a d i n g i n f

o r m at i o n to th e

c lie n ts re g a rd in g th e re p re se n ta tio n th a t he wo u ld p ro v id e

. He a lso fa ile d to a c t

with re a so n a

b le d ilig e n c e a

n d p ro m p tn e ss, t o r e a s o n a

b l y c o n s u l t with his c lie n ts,

to in fo rm h is c lie n ts o f th e sta tu s o f th e ir c a se s, to c o m p ly with t h e c l i e n ts’

re a so na b le re qu e sts fo r in fo rm a tio n

, to with d ra w fro m th e re p re se n ta tio n s, a n d

to re sp o n d to e ith e r N o tic e o f In v e stig a tio n

. Ad ditio n a lly

, Me riso tis fa ile d to

a p p e a r a t h e a rin g s in on e c lie nt’s c a se

, a n d a lth o u g h h e d id re sp o n d to th e Offic e

o f Ge ne ra l Co u n se l du rin g its in fo rm a l in v e stig a tio n in to o ne c lie n t’s g rie v a n c e

,

h e pro v id e d u n tru th fu l a n d m isle a d in g in fo rm a tio n re g a rd in g th e a m o un t o f h is

c o m m u nic a tio n s with th a t c lie n t. F in a lly

, M e riso tis fa ile d to file swo rn

, writte n

re sp o n se s to th e No tic e s o f In v e stig a tio n a s r e q u ire d b y Ba r Ru le 4 -2 0 4 .3

.

B a s ed o n th e se fa c ts, th e In v e stig a tiv e P an e l fo u n d p ro b a b le c a u se t o

b e lie v e th a t Me riso tis v io la te d Ru le s 1 .3

, 1

. 4

, a n d 9 .3 , o f 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 fo u n d in B a r R ule 4 -1 0 2 (d ). Ad d itio n a lly

, it fo u n d

p ro b a b le c a u se to b e lie ve th a t h e v io la te d Ru le s 1 .1 6 an d 8 .4

, a n d we a g re e th a t

th e re c o rd su p p orts a fin d in g th a t h is c o n d u c t v io la te s Ru le s 1 .1 6 (a ) (1 ) a n d 8 .4

(a ) (4 ). Th e m a x im

u m s a n c tio n fo r a v io la tio n o f Ru le s 1

. 3 a n d 8 .4 is

d isb a rm e n t, a n d th e m a x im u m sa n c tio n fo r a v io la tio n o f Ru le s 1 .4

, 1 .1 6

, a n d

29 .3 is a

p u b lic re p rim a n d

.

In e a c h c a se

, th e In v e stig a tiv e P a n e l c o n sid e re d a s an a g gra va tin g fa c to r

th a t th e e x iste nc e o f th e o th e r d isc ip lin a ry m a tte r sh owe d m ultip le o ffe n se s a n d

a p a tte rn o f m isc o n d u c t. Alth o u g h th e In v e stig a tiv e P a n e l a lso c o n sid e re d

Me riso tis’s fa ilu re to re sp on d to th e No tic e s o f In v e stig a tio n a s a n a gg ra v a tin g

fa c to r, we d e e m it in a

p p ro p ria te to c o n sid e r th is fa c to r a s a n a g g ra v a tin g fa c to r

wh e re M e riso tis h a s be e n c h a rg e d with a v io la tio n of Ru le 9 .3 fo r th a t sa m e

fa ilu re

. Ne v e rth e le ss, h a 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 a rm e n t

is th e a p p 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 is h e re b y o rd e re d th a t th e n a m e o f Wa y n e P e te r Me riso tis

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 th e S ta te o f

Ge o rg ia

. M e r iso tis is re m in d e d o f h is d u tie s p u rsu an t to Ba r R u le 4 -2 1 9 (c ).

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

De c id e d Ju ly 6

, 2 0 15

.

Disb a rm e n t.

P 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, R e b e c c a A. Ha ll, Assista n t

Ge n e ra l Co u n se l S ta te Ba r, fo r S ta te Ba

r o f Ge o rg ia

.

3